Organized crime is increasingly seducing agents from the Costa Rican police forces. During the first week of March, an agent from the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) and a Public Force officer were arrested. Both of them are linked to organized crime.
Investigations indicate that the OIJ agent served as an advisory and information-filtering agent for an international, drug-trafficking network. On the other hand, the official from the Public Force is reated to Ojos Bellos gang.
Attorney General of the Republic Jorge Chavarría catalogs the problem as a way Mexican and Colombian organizations operate.
According to authorities, the Supreme Court convened a Commission 5 years ago to fight this problem. It was composed by the presidents of the Chambers, the Attorney General and the director of the OIJ. They have designed strategies for the judiciary, such as security mechanisms, where a strong analysis is made to people entering institutions and workers behavior is constantly analyzed, especially in abrupt economic changes.
Security Minister Gustavo Mata has insisted on a zero-tolerance policy regarding officials linked to crime. In fact, by the end of 2016, the Security Ministry fired more than 100 police officers who had criminal records and were related to criminal activities.