Costa Rica Police Raid 80 Sites in Cargo Theft Probe
Security: Costa Rica
Key Facts
—Who. Costa Rica’s judicial police, the Judicial Investigation Organisation (OIJ), with prosecutors and judges, against an alleged criminal group.
—What. 80 raids and a preliminary 22 people detained over alleged container theft, fuel theft, drug trafficking, money laundering and two homicides.
—Where. Limón province on the Caribbean coast, and other areas of Costa Rica.
—Seized. Five firearms including an AR-15 rifle, several kilograms of marijuana, luxury vehicles and cash. About 100 kilograms of cocaine were seized earlier in the investigation, not in these raids.
—Status. These are allegations by the authorities. The detainees are suspects, and no court has ruled.
—As of. 9 October 2026, 20:00 GMT.
Costa Rica’s judicial police carried out 80 raids on Friday 9 October 2026 against a group suspected of stealing shipping containers and fuel, trafficking drugs and taking part in two killings. The operation centres on Limón, the Caribbean coast province, and the authorities say it targets a network that mixes cargo crime with the drug trade.
What We Know
The Judicial Investigation Organisation (OIJ) executed 80 raids on Friday 9 October 2026, according to Costa Rican media. A preliminary count shows 22 people detained, while La Nación reports arrest warrants for 48 suspects.
A shootout marked one of the raids in Liverpool, Limón, Teletica reports. Two OIJ officers were lightly wounded, according to Teletica and CRHoy.
Delfino.cr reports that 1,275 judicial officials took part, made up of 1,100 OIJ agents, 85 judges and 90 prosecutors. CRHoy puts the figure at more than 1,200.
The raids covered Limón and several other areas, Delfino.cr says, including Heredia, Upala, Puntarenas, Desamparados, Puriscal, Escazú, Guápiles, Siquirres and Batán. CRHoy says the operation is tied to two investigations called Portus and Conexión.
Investigators allege the group stole containers and fuel, trafficked drugs, laundered money and formed an illicit association. They also link it to two homicides, one in December 2025 and one in August 2026, both in Limón province.
What Officers Seized
Teletica and CRHoy report five firearms, among them an AR-15 rifle, plus several kilograms of marijuana, luxury vehicles and cash. Delfino.cr says the roughly 100 kilograms of cocaine were seized over the course of the investigation, not in these raids.
CRHoy reports that OIJ interim director Michael Soto said suspects threw money from windows during the raids to destroy evidence. He said officers still found and secured it, and the amount has not been published.
The Cost of Container and Fuel Theft
Delfino.cr puts the losses from container thefts at about US$1.5 million. It says the fuel thefts involved about 654,000 litres, worth roughly 400 million Costa Rican colones.
At the RT rate of about 451 colones to the US dollar on 9 October, that fuel is worth about US$890,000. The figures come from the investigation and are not yet tested in court.
Cargo and fuel theft raise costs for companies that ship goods through Costa Rica, including those serving US buyers. We found no official estimate of the wider effect on trade.
What Is Not Known
The authorities have not published the final number of arrests, the names of the suspects or the charges each will face. Delfino.cr and CRHoy report some alleged leaders’ nicknames, but we do not repeat them while no court has ruled.
We could not reach the OIJ’s own press release, and the Prosecutor’s Office had published no separate statement in the coverage we reviewed. No link to a foreign extradition request or US agency has been reported in the coverage we reviewed.
More: Costa Rica news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
What It Means for Travelers and US Readers
Limón is a gateway for visitors heading to the Caribbean coast, and the operation was aimed at a criminal network, not tourists. Travelers should follow the US State Department advisory for Costa Rica and local alerts.
Anyone shipping goods through Costa Rica’s Caribbean port should expect closer scrutiny of containers and fuel supplies. A broad crackdown can also disrupt local networks in the short term, although the coverage reports no unrest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in Costa Rica on 9 October 2026?
The OIJ, Costa Rica’s judicial police, carried out 80 raids against a group suspected of container theft, fuel theft, drug trafficking and two homicides. A preliminary count shows 22 people detained.
Where did the raids take place?
They centred on Limón province on the Caribbean coast, with further searches in areas such as Heredia, Upala, Puntarenas and Guápiles. Delfino.cr lists the locations.
What was seized?
Teletica and CRHoy report five firearms including an AR-15 rifle, several kilograms of marijuana, luxury vehicles and cash. About 100 kilograms of cocaine were seized earlier in the investigation, and the amount of cash has not been published.
Are the suspects guilty?
No, they are suspects, and no court has ruled. The claims come from investigators and are allegations until a judge decides.
Sources
Connected Coverage
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief