Police Officials Sentenced For Drug Trafficking

Costa Rica Police Officials Sentenced For Drug Trafficking

Seven Costa Rican police officers have been sentenced to 22 years in prison for drug trafficking. Their convictions are more evidence of the increasing influence of criminal organizations on the very institutions in Costa Ricaresponsible for fighting trafficking.

The seven members of the Fuerza Pública (national police force) were convicted of international drug trafficking and embezzlement. Another Costa Rican national who was convicted as part of the same case was a member of the Coast Guard until just a year before his arrest.

These crimes were committed in collusion with a Colombian drug trafficking organization. The same organization is suspected of trafficking several major cocaine shipments seized by authorities, including one shipment of 1,441 kilos intercepted in July 2009, 382 kilos last August, and 700 kilos last September.

InSight Crime Analysis
Costa Rica is becoming more important to smuggling operations through Central America. Authorities in May 2011 noted that land routes through Costa Rica are increasingly important as drug trafficking organizations are forced to abandon air and sea routes through Panama due to a crackdown by authorities there. The head of the JudicialInvestigation Police (OIJ) warned last December that Costa Rica has gone from being a transit point for drug shipments to being a center of negotiation between Mexican and Colombian drug trafficking organizations.

Proof of increased smuggling operations point to this new reality of a greater criminal influence in the country. This past February, Costa Rican law enforcement seized a single shipment of two tons of cocaine, the largest bust in six years, from boats off the Pacific Coast. In the first four months of 2012, four tons of cocaine were seized at oneborder crossing, the same amount seized in all of the country in the last six months of 2011.

As InSight has reported, criminal organizations are building stronger relationships with security forces in Costa Rica. The amount of narcotics seized in the past year suggests that these organizations are getting more confident that these connections will facilitate large shipments and keep them from being intercepted. It is also very likely that there have been large single shipments like the one seized in February that have gone unnoticed byauthorities.

Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla correctly identified the problem in an interview late last year, saying, “This has to do with the institutions, and what [drug cartels] do is corrupt institutions to disrupt the legal system and the rule of law... I don’t remember in our whole history a menace like this menace from organized crime.”

 

IBM inaugurates its tech center supporting cloud computing

IBM inaugurated its new information technology center in Heredia Thursday. The company says it plans to invest $300 million in Costa Rica over the next 10 years. This new facility will support the firms cloud computing operations. The firm said it plans to hire about 1,000 persons by 2014. Cloud computing allows storage and applications for those working at home or in offices. The concept is considered to be more secure and cost effective. At the same time IBM announced a program for public and private universities. The goal is to improve instructions in the skills the company will need. The firm is offering access to its software in areas of online security, cloud computer, data storage and business analytics, it said.  The firm also will work with professors to develop their courses. The new facility is in Zona Franca América.

Group stole 200 miles of phone cable

Judicial officials claim that arrests of 17 suspects in 13 raids around the country put an end to a group of organized criminals that stole a total of ¢ 2 billion ($4.04 million) in phone cable from the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE). Prosecutors said the material was exported into the international market, and resulted in the loss of 200 miles of cable in 2011.

Costa Rica Pageant Crowns New Winner

Courtesy of Facebook

It was an exciting evening for Nazareth Cascante Madrigal who after all was said and done was crowned Miss Costa Rica 2012, destined to fill some important shoes with the end of reign for Miss Costa Rica 2011, Johanna Solano.

The event, held at Teletica’s studio, http://www.misscostarica.com saw the winner lead in all of the events during the pageant. It seemed that this 5’9″ beauty was destined to become the winner from the being. The annual event, now in its 59th year was filled with anticipation in terms of who would replaced the current reigning Miss Costa Rica, Johanna Solano whose reign took her to runner up in the Miss Universe 2011 pageant.

Miss Solano, Miss Costa Rica 2011, was a popular figure amongst the pageant circuit and around the world. Considered to be one of the hardest working beauty queens for Costa Rica, her focus included elder issues and social outreach programs. The new Miss Costa Rica 2012 will have to make her own mark on the position although it will be difficult for many to forget Solano’s contribution to the position.

Fastest mama sloth ever

The fastest moving mama with babe, sloth I have ever seen. This two toed sloth is moving fast down the barbed fence line next to the main road to La Fortuna, Costa Rica.