Costa Rica Finds 4 3D-Printed Guns, Cocaine
COSTA RICA · SECURITY
Key Facts
- —What is happening Costa Rica’s Public Security Ministry said on Wednesday, 21 October, that drug police found four 3D-printed guns and 357 units of cocaine in a mansion in Uvita, on the southern Pacific coast, and arrested two guards. The unit is unclear: packages or kilos.
- —Why it matters The ministry says it is the first time its police have seized such guns, which carry no serial number and cannot be traced, and officials call them a new threat to national security.
- —The numbers Police also took two pistols, five magazines and 249 rounds, plus ₡162,000 (about US$355) in cash. The guns combine printed plastic parts with metal components, and the cocaine load is 357 packages or 357 kilos, the unit being unclear.
- —Who is who The Drug Control Police (PCD) led the raid, backed by the national intelligence directorate, two special police units and the Fuerza Pública. Vice Minister of Public Security Nelson Barquero commented for the ministry.
- —What to watch The two detainees are with the Public Prosecutor’s Office while a hearing on precautionary measures is still to be set. It is not yet confirmed whether more such guns are circulating or who owns the mansion.
- —Power Index Costa Rica ranks 9th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 36.5 points (October 2026 edition).
- —What it means for you Costa Rica joined the US-led Shield of the Americas anti-cartel initiative in March, and Costa Rica is a transit hub for South American cocaine bound north. The raid hit a private property, not a public site.
Costa Rican police found four 3D-printed guns and a 357-unit cocaine load in an Uvita mansion. The security ministry calls it a first for its forces.
Costa Rican police found four 3D-printed guns and a 357-unit cocaine load in an Uvita mansion, the ministry said on 21 October. Outlets differ on whether the 357 are packages or kilos, and two guards were arrested.
The ministry says it is the first time its police have seized weapons of this kind. For US readers, the case joins Pacific-coast cocaine routes to guns that investigators cannot trace.
What Police Found in the Uvita Mansion
The raid took place in Uvita de Osa, a Pacific-coast community in Puntarenas province near the Osa Peninsula. CRHoy, La Teja and Monumental report that the Drug Control Police (PCD) led it.
Besides the four 3D-printed guns, officers seized two pistols, five magazines and 249 rounds, including 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm rifle ammunition. They also took two GPS devices, satellite phones and ₡162,000 (about US$355) in cash.
Conversions use the rate of 23 October 2026, about ₡456 per US dollar. The cash is small next to the drugs and weapons.
How the 3D-Printed Guns Work
The ministry says plastic parts are printed from digital designs and combined with the metal components needed to assemble a gun. It says they can be assembled with conventional gun parts and reach the same lethality and firepower.
Such guns have no serial number, brand, model or maker, so investigators cannot easily trace where they came from. EFE quotes Vice Minister of Public Security Nelson Barquero saying the weapons evade regional and international traceability and that gangs are modernising.
La Teja reports that the Judicial Investigation Bureau (OIJ), the country’s detective agency, already knows of such weapons. The ministry called this its first seizure of them.
The Two Men Arrested
Two Costa Rican men, aged 26 and 41, were arrested as caretakers, according to La Teja, TV Sur and EFE. The 26-year-old, surnamed Quesada, has no judicial record.
The 41-year-old, surnamed Aguilar, has a file for illegally carrying a permitted weapon, physical and psychological aggression and arson. He also has 12 drug-possession records, which are not convictions, and no response from him was reported.
Costa Rica’s Cocaine Pressure in 2026
Costa Rica seized 40.6 tonnes of cocaine through August 2026, up 49.5% on a year earlier. Those are Costa Rican Institute on Drugs (ICD) figures cited by EFE.
In 2025 the country seized 46.5 tonnes, its second-highest total, behind 47.1 tonnes in 2020. EFE adds that Costa Rica records about 900 homicides a year, with about 70% blamed on drug trafficking.
For wider context, see the guide to Costa Rica. Also read Costa Rica Geopolitics Explained.
The same coast produced a sea chase on 20 October, covered in Costa Rica Cocaine Chase Nets 1.5 Tonnes. Whether the Uvita mansion is linked to it is not confirmed.
What It Means for US Readers
EFE notes that Costa Rica joined the Shield of the Americas in March 2026. President Donald Trump leads that regional anti-cartel initiative.
Guns without serial numbers weaken the tracing that regional investigators rely on, as the ministry itself warns. The raid was at a private property, and no warning to travellers was reported.
Earlier this month the government named nine narcoterrorist groups. Related: a trafficker due in a US court on 4 December.
What Is Not Known
Reports differ on the cocaine: CRHoy and Monumental say 357 packages, while La Teja and EFE say 357 kilos. No weight was published, and the ministry’s own release could not be opened to settle it.
The raid date is unclear: CRHoy says Tuesday, 20 October, while EFE says the guns were found on Wednesday, 21 October. All outlets report two arrests, but El Observador counts three satellite phones where CRHoy and La Teja count two.
Who owns the mansion, which group used it and who printed the guns are not known. El Observador reports another 1,400 packages seized a day earlier with DEA support, but that figure appears in no other report found.
What Comes Next
The detainees are to appear before a judge at a hearing on precautionary measures that has yet to be scheduled, CRHoy reports. That does not mean they are convicted, and no formal charges have been detailed.
The ministry has not announced new rules on 3D printing or gun parts. Further finds of such weapons would show whether this is a one-off.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Costa Rican police find in Uvita?
Police found four 3D-printed guns and 357 units of cocaine in an Uvita de Osa mansion, reported as packages or kilos. They also seized two pistols, 249 rounds and about US$355.
Why are 3D-printed guns a concern?
They have no serial number, brand or maker, so their origin is hard to trace. The ministry says they can match conventional guns in lethality and firepower.
Was anyone arrested?
Two Costa Rican men guarding the property, aged 26 and 41, were arrested. They are in the hands of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and no charges have been detailed.
Is this the first such seizure in Costa Rica?
The Public Security Ministry says it is the first time its police have seized weapons of this kind. The OIJ detective agency is reported to know of such weapons already.
How much cocaine has Costa Rica seized in 2026?
Through August, Costa Rica seized 40.6 tonnes, up 49.5% on a year earlier, according to ICD figures cited by EFE. The full-year 2025 total was 46.5 tonnes.
Sources: CRHoy, 21 October 2026; La Teja, 21 October 2026; Monumental, 22 October 2026; TV Sur, 22 October 2026; EFE via Infobae, 22 October 2026; El Observador, 22 October 2026; statements of the Ministry of Public Security as quoted by these outlets (accessed 23 October 2026).
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