Published on Thursday, December 18, 2025
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Congress (Legislative Assembly) has authorized the arrival of 195 United States Coast Guard (USCG) ships at Costa Rican ports in 2026.


Lawmakers approved the measure Wednesday with a 38–5 vote, according to Congress. The five opposing votes came from members of the left-wing Frente Amplio party.


Permission for the ship visits was formally requested on Dec. 15 by the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The request includes authorization for more than 1,000 officers, more than 6,000 enlisted crew members and scientific personnel, as well as aircraft and helicopters.


Congressional approval allows U.S. crews to enter the country and participate in support missions tied to projects on both Costa Rican coasts.

 

The operations are aimed at cooperating with regional allies to detect, monitor and disrupt illicit drug trafficking by air and sea. U.S. officials say the missions help facilitate interdictions and arrests, reduce the flow of drugs and dismantle transnational criminal organizations.

As of October, joint U.S.-CR operations had resulted in the seizure of 19 vessels, the arrest of 59 people suspected of drug trafficking, and the confiscation of more than 26 tons of cocaine and more than 27,000 pounds of marijuana, according to the U.S. Embassy.

This week, a joint operation led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Coast Guard resulted in the seizure of more than 1.5 tons of marijuana and the arrest of three suspects off Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast.

The United States established diplomatic relations with Costa Rica in 1851, following Costa Rica’s independence and the dissolution of the Central American federation.

 

“Costa Rica has an attractive trade and investment climate and remains one of the strongest and most reliable voices in Latin America on human rights and the rule of law,” the U.S. Embassy states on its website. “The country has been a key partner in the fight against transnational crime and drug trafficking.”

U.S. officials note that since 2020, Costa Rica has become the primary transshipment point for cocaine moving from South America to North America and Europe, a development they say has contributed to rising crime and corruption. Costa Rica has also received large numbers of migrants and refugees (mostly from Nicaragua) and serves as a transit route for regional and extracontinental migration.

Embassy data show Costa Rica remains a major destination for U.S. retirees and tourists, with about 120,000 U.S. citizens living in the country.

In related developments, U.S. expatriates in Costa Rica recently marked Veterans Day, a U.S. holiday honoring military veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

The authorization of ship arrivals is part of a broader pattern of U.S. missions in Costa Rica. Recently, Congress approved the arrival of the U.S. Navy ship USS Wichita (LCS-13) at the port of Limón on the Caribbean Coast.

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What other areas of Costa Rica could benefit from U.S. military assistance missions? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com