Published on Thursday, March 5, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The United States is recognizing Costa Rica’s commitment to combating drug trafficking following the success of Operation Blue Marlin, a joint maritime counternarcotics initiative carried out throughout January 2026, according to the U.S. Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S).

The operation was part of a broader international effort aimed at dismantling drug trafficking networks operating across the Caribbean and eastern Pacific corridors.

Operation Blue Marlin marks the latest phase in a decades-long partnership between Costa Rica and the United States under the framework of Joint Interagency Task Force South, headquartered at Naval Air Station Key West in Florida.

“Beyond daily collaboration, the two nations engage in joint exercises to refine interoperability, synchronize planning and ensure the seamless execution of operations,” JIATF-S said in a statement. “This enduring alliance remains anchored in a mutual dedication to eradicating the flow of illicit narcotics throughout Central and South America.”

Authorities said Costa Rican officials are highly skilled partners who have consistently demonstrated professionalism and effectiveness in demanding counterdrug missions.

“Costa Rica’s leadership has been instrumental in strengthening our decades-long fight against illicit trafficking, constantly setting a higher standard of excellence for our joint efforts,” officials said.

Joint operations between Costa Rica and the United States have resulted in multiple interdictions that disrupted narcotrafficking activities and led to the seizure of thousands of kilograms of illegal drugs.

 

In a recent operation, agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard, working with the Costa Rica Coast Guard, seized about 1.8 tons of cocaine and arrested three suspects off Costa Rica’s Pacific coast.

“Between Jan. 20 and 30, 2026, the National Coast Guard actively participated in Operation Blue Marlin with officers from the Special Operations Group,” Commissioner Juan Carlos Alvarado Quesada, director general of Costa Rica’s National Coast Guard, said. “These teams logged 1,920 man-hours and navigated more than 1,198 nautical miles using interceptor vessels.”

Alvarado said international cooperation strengthens Costa Rica’s ability to control its maritime territory and counter drug trafficking networks that threaten regional security.

“International cooperation enhances Costa Rica’s capability to exert effective control over its maritime interests and to decisively counter the narcotrafficking structures that threaten regional security,” he said.

The joint missions also support a broader multinational counternarcotics effort known as Campaign MARTILLO, or “Hammer.” The large-scale detection, monitoring and interdiction initiative, coordinated by JIATF-S, brings together military and law enforcement agencies from 21 partner nations across North, Central and South America, as well as Europe.

“With robust support from the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, federal law enforcement and U.S. Southern Command, Campaign MARTILLO effectively denies criminal organizations the use of critical maritime and air routes for trafficking narcotics and other illicit goods,” authorities said.

In 2025, operations supported by JIATF-S resulted in the seizure or disruption of more than 455 metric tons of cocaine.

Costa Rican officials say cooperation with the United States has significantly strengthened the country’s operational capabilities.

“The Costa Rican Public Force has made significant strides in its operational tactics, technological modernization and the enhanced exchange of strategic intelligence,” said Capt. Javier Moreira, director of Costa Rica’s Air Surveillance Service. “Close coordination with U.S. Southern Command has been instrumental in bolstering national capabilities in intelligence analysis, air surveillance, monitoring of illicit routes and integrated operational planning.”

Moreira said access to advanced technology platforms, analytical tools and secure, real-time information-sharing systems has improved the detection and tracking of transnational threats.

“Furthermore, this strategic partnership has strengthened Costa Rica’s regional standing by facilitating the signing of memorandums of understanding and cooperation agreements with other nations in the hemisphere aimed at enhancing interoperability, specialized training and a joint response to transnational organized crime,” he said.

JIATF-S said the significance of these joint operations goes beyond the volume of narcotics seized or the number of suspects arrested.

“True victory is measured in the enhanced safety and security of every community shielded from the devastating consequences of drug addiction, ecological damage, corruption and violence fueled by the profits of the narcotics trade,” the task force said.

Costa Rican authorities are urging the public to report suspected drug trafficking through the country’s confidential hotline at 800-8000-645 or the rapid-response line 1176. Both services offer assistance in English and Spanish.

As part of the Joint Maritime Patrol Treaty between Costa Rica and the United States, advisers from the U.S. Air Force’s 571st Mobility Support Advisory Squadron recently completed a training engagement with Costa Rica’s Air Surveillance Service.

Since 2018, the U.S. State Department has provided more than $269 million in bilateral and regional security assistance to Costa Rica. The funding supports equipment purchases, training programs and technical expertise designed to strengthen law enforcement, combat organized crime and improve the justice system’s ability to prosecute transnational criminal groups.

In related developments, Costa Rica’s Congress recently authorized the arrival of 195 U.S. Coast Guard vessels in the country.

The Ministry of Public Security (MSP) is the national agency responsible for citizen safety, public order and anti-crime operations.

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