Costa Rica seeks to expand extradition for organized crime fight

Costa Rica is seeking to broaden the scope of its extradition laws to combat a surge in organized crime and drug trafficking. President Laura Fernández announced that a constitutional reform project will be presented to the Legislative Assembly on August 3rd. Currently, Costa Rican citizens can only be extradited for drug trafficking and terrorism. The proposed changes would add financing of drug trafficking and terrorism, money laundering, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, arms and organ trafficking, contract killing, organized crime-related homicides, cybercrime, and cyberterrorism.

Fernández, who assumed office in May with a promise to crack down on drug trafficking, links the illicit trade to rising criminality in a nation long considered one of the region's safest. "We are not going to stop in the national crusade against organized crime nor in the all-out war against drug trafficking," she stated.

The initiative comes as Costa Rica grapples with escalating violence. The homicide rate jumped to 17 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2025, up from 11.2 in 2019, with seven out of ten murders linked to drug trafficking. "Costa Rica today faces a new reality in terms of security," Fernández said, noting that criminal organizations "have increased their operational capacity."

Costa Rica's existing extradition law for nationals was reformed in 2025 under former President Rodrigo Chaves to include international drug trafficking and terrorism. However, passing the new constitutional amendment will require 38 votes in the 57-seat Legislative Assembly. The country made its first extradition of a national on March 20th, sending former Security Minister Celso Gamboa to the United States on drug trafficking charges.

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No vamos a parar en la cruzada nacional contra el crimen organizado ni en la guerra sin cuartel contra el narcotráfico