Costa Rica’s mega-prison receives first inmates | Politics News
Costa Rica Opens $35 Million Mega-Prison to Combat Organized Crime
By [Author Name]
Published: October 28, 2026
San Jose, Costa Rica – President Laura Fernandez inaugurated the High-Containment Center Against Organized Crime (CACCO), a new maximum-security prison designed to address rising criminal activity in the country. The facility, located on the outskirts of Costa Rica’s capital, was completed at a cost of $35 million and has the capacity to house up to 5,100 inmates.
The Costa Rican Justice Ministry announced the arrival of the first group of prisoners, comprising 123 inmates clad in orange uniforms, during a ceremony that took place on October 15. Images released by the ministry depicted the inmates with shaved heads, seated with their hands clasped behind their necks.
Justice Minister Gabriel Aguilar stated, “Costa Rica is writing a new chapter in its penitentiary history,” emphasizing a shift toward a more stringent approach to crime under President Fernandez’s administration.
The CACCO represents an effort to tackle organized crime, which has seen a significant rise in recent years, attributed largely to drug trafficking and related violence. Costa Rica recorded 905 homicides in 2023, followed by 876 in 2024 and 873 in 2025. Officials have linked these incidents primarily to competition among criminal organizations over drug distribution routes.
Aguilar highlighted that the new prison would not only enhance national security but also aid in alleviating overcrowding within the existing prison system. The facility is projected to accommodate approximately 20 percent of the country’s total prison population.
The construction of the CACCO was supported by the Salvadoran government, reflecting a growing trend among various Latin American nations to adopt similar prison models in response to escalating violence.
