Costa Rica opens mega-prison to combat organized crime

Key facts

• Costa Rica inaugurated a maximum-security prison on Wednesday.
• The prison, CACCO, has a capacity for 5,100 inmates.
• Costa Rica recorded 876 homicides in 2024 and 873 in 2025.
• President Laura Fernandez stated the prison will enforce a tough-on-crime model.
• Justice Minister Gabriel Aguilar presented CACCO as part of an effort to reassert state control over the prison system.

Costa Rica inaugurated a maximum-security prison on Wednesday, the High-Containment Center Against Organized Crime (CACCO), as part of an intensified effort to combat organized crime and a surge in homicides. The facility, near the capital San Jose, can hold 5,100 inmates and is modeled on El Salvador's mega-prison. President Laura Fernandez stated the prison will enforce a tough-on-crime model and aims to make Costa Rica a global benchmark for prison security. Costa Rica recorded 905 homicides in 2023, with numbers remaining high in 2024 and 2025, largely linked to disputes among criminal groups over drug trafficking routes. Justice Minister Gabriel Aguilar described the prison as a key element in reasserting state control over a prison system infiltrated by organized crime. The first inmate transfers are scheduled for the end of October.