Costa Rica has signed a cooperation agreement with the United States to receive undocumented immigrants deported from the U.S., officials announced Monday.

The agreement was signed by President Rodrigo Chaves-Robles and Kristi Noem, who is currently serving as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas and traveled to the country to finalize the arrangement.

Noem has served as the eighth U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security since 2025 and currently acts as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas.

The deal comes weeks after Costa Rica joined a U.S.-led initiative aimed at strengthening regional efforts to combat criminal cartels and organized crime.

The agreement was part of the Shield of the Americas Summit held earlier this month in the United States. The broader regional pact outlines a series of actions designed to improve cooperation among Latin American countries in addressing organized crime.

“We are very proud to have partners like Costa Rica working with us to ensure that people who are in our country illegally have the opportunity to return to their countries of origin,” Noem said during a press conference following the signing.

Noem said Costa Rica is expected to play a leading role in the Shield of the Americas coalition, adding that the agreement “will ensure that our neighboring countries address our shared challenges together, including security threats, while also collaborating on prosperity, the economy and safety.”

Also attending the signing ceremony were U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica Melinda Hildebrand, President-elect Laura Fernández-Delgado and Foreign Minister Arnoldo André, along with other officials from both governments.

Under the agreement, Costa Rica could receive approximately 25 migrants deported from the United States each week, though that number may fluctuate, Chaves said.