Published on Wednesday, September 30, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

U.S. Ambassador Melinda Hildebrand met Wednesday in San José with senior Costa Rican Judicial Branch (Poder Judicial) officials to discuss security cooperation between the two countries.

According to the U.S. Embassy, Hildebrand met with authorities from the Supreme Court of Justice, the acting deputy Attorney General and the interim director of the Judicial Investigation Organization, known as the OIJ, among other officials.

The meeting aimed to “reaffirm our commitment to bringing drug traffickers and other criminals who threaten the security of our peoples to justice,” the embassy said in a statement.

"U.S. cooperation with Costa Rica continues to produce results through a large number of operations, including extraditions, seizures of illicit drugs, criminal investigations and many other actions," the Judicial Branch said in a statement.

One of the most recent cooperative operations between Costa Rica and the United States took place last week, when a U.S. Air Force Globemaster transported nearly 45 tons of drugs seized in Costa Rica this year to the United States on Friday for destruction.

Recently, a joint operation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration resulted in the arrest in Costa Rica of five people suspected of being members of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel.

In related developments, Costa Rica recently participated in the Shield of the Americas summit, an anti-cartel coalition led by U.S. President Donald Trump and held at United Nations headquarters in New York City.

In August, Costa Rica, with assistance from the United States, carried out its most recent large-scale deportation operation, removing 20 foreign nationals who had been convicted of crimes.

Also in August, Costa Rica extradited a 63-year-old Costa Rican man identified by the surname Bell-Fernández to the United States to face drug trafficking charges. The extradition marked the fourth time Costa Rica has sent one of its citizens abroad to face criminal prosecution.

The Judicial Branch (Poder Judicial)  is one of the three independent branches of the Costa Rican government. It is responsible for administering justice, investigating crimes and ensuring the rule of law. It is similar in the United States to the federal court system, headed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

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What other actions should be included in the security cooperation agreement between the United States and Costa Rica to strengthen security in the region? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com