Costa Rica travel advisories

Caution regarding dengue fever (If you suspect you may be infected, please seek medical attention as soon as possible)

July 12, 2024, midnight Wide area information (infectious diseases)

If you are planning to travel to or stay in tropical or subtropical regions such as Central and South America, Oceania, Southeast Asia, and Africa, where dengue fever is common, or if you are already staying there, please be sure to take appropriate preventive measures. In addition, if you suspect you may be infected, please visit a medical institution as soon as possible.

Hurricane season warning

May 30, 2024, midnight wide area information

【point】
In North America (Pacific and Atlantic coastal regions and southern regions) and Central and South America (Caribbean and Pacific coastal regions), hurricane season usually runs from June to November. Please pay close attention to weather information and take precautions in advance, such as stockpiling disaster prevention supplies, drinking water, and food.

Security Information【June】

July 17, 2024, 2:16 a.m.

● San Jose Prefecture: "53-year-old man shot dead" (murder case)
At 7:30 a.m. on June 3rd, a quarrel broke out between neighbors in a condominium in Guachiperin, Escazu, when a 43-year-old man took a gun from his home and shot and killed his 53-year-old neighbor. The perpetrator and the victim lived next door to each other and had been fighting for several years over the victim's house renovation, and had been suing each other in court.

"A 45-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman were shot to death" (murder case)
At 9:30 pm on June 3rd, a 45-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman were shot and killed in Prall, Goicoechea. The woman was not targeted, but was shot because she was with him. The investigation is ongoing as a retaliation murder related to drugs.

"30-year-old man shot dead" (murder case)
On June 6, a 30-year-old man was shot and killed by a man in a car while walking down the street in Prall, Goicoechea. There are eight criminal groups in Prall, and murders are said to be on the rise due to turf wars over drug trafficking.

"67-year-old woman found dead" (murder case)
A 67-year-old woman who had been missing since June 5th was found buried on a farm in Dota on the morning of June 14th. The victim had worked for the Ministry of Public Security but had retired and was running a beauty salon in Dota. It is believed she was killed by a 26-year-old man she met through work, with the intention of stealing her property. The arrested suspect reportedly had a number of criminal records.

Limon Province: "47-year-old woman's body discovered" (murder case)
On June 4, the body of a 47-year-old woman was found in a house in Guasimo. The woman had been stabbed with a knife, was covered in blood, and was wrapped in a sheet. The suspect, a 24-year-old man, is said to have been involved in drug trafficking.

"Two men shot dead" (murder case)
On June 10, workers at a banana plantation in Batang, Matina found the bodies of two men who had been shot to death. The victims were wearing boots, so they may have been employees of the plantation. On June 7, a man had also been shot and injured at the same plantation.

"37-year-old man shot dead" (murder case)
At 10 p.m. on June 15th in Pococi, a 37-year-old man was walking with a former female colleague when a woman in a passing car got into an argument with the former female colleague. The 37-year-old man, who tried to stop the fight, was shot and killed by the passenger of the woman.

"36-year-old man arrested as leader of criminal group"
On the morning of June 21, a 36-year-old man, the leader of a criminal group, was arrested in the city of Limon. The leader is believed to be involved in at least 10 murders and two attempted murders. The criminal group on the right is said to be involved in about 60 murders, and the police investigation is ongoing.

"68-year-old man shot dead by security guard" (murder case)
At 1:00 p.m. on June 25, in Guasimo, a 68-year-old man who was poaching in the university's forest reserve shot at a security guard who rushed to the scene, hitting the guard's bulletproof vest. When the guard returned fire, a bullet hit the man in the abdomen and he died shortly after.

Puntarenas province: "A total of four people were killed and two judicial police officers were injured in a shooting incident" (murder case)
On June 3rd, at around 4:30pm, two armed men opened fire on people inside a car wash in Parrita. When police officers arrived after receiving a report, an accomplice who was parked in front of the car wash opened fire on the police officers, resulting in a shootout. One accomplice was killed, and two judicial police officers were also wounded by bullets. One of the gunmen who had been firing inside the car wash was also injured and taken to the hospital, but died a short time later.

"11-year-old girl injured after being hit by a bullet fired by mistake" (shooting incident)
On June 7th in Paquera, Puntarenas, a 14-year-old boy picked up a gun on the road on his way home. While playing with the gun at home that night, it accidentally fired, hitting his 11-year-old sister who was nearby and injuring her.

"Traces of drugs found on burning small plane" (drug-related case)
In the early hours of June 13th, a small plane was found on fire on an airstrip in the city of Corredores. A police dog found traces of drugs at the scene. Two men were guarding the scene, but fled when they saw police officers.

"Cocaine seizure" (drug-related case)
On June 14, a boat was discovered off the Pacific coast (124 km offshore from the city of Quepos) carrying more than 1,300 kg of cocaine, and four crew members (three Costa Ricans and one Nicaraguan) were arrested. 1,349 packets of cocaine, each weighing one kilogram, were seized.

"Bank robbery at Popular Bank" (robbery)
At around midnight on June 23rd, a robber broke into the Popular Bank in Jicaral, Puntarenas, and cash was stolen from the safe. The total amount of the loss has not yet been made public.

"Large quantities of marijuana and cocaine seized" (drug-related case)
On the afternoon of June 23rd, 1,704 packets of marijuana and 10 packets of cocaine were found on a boat carrying three people (two Costa Ricans and one Nicaraguan) one mile offshore from San Petrillo, Osa. The three were arrested and the drugs were seized.

"53-year-old man shot dead" (murder case)
At 1:30 a.m. on June 27th, a group of five robbers broke the window of a parked trailer truck in El Roble, Puntarenas, and attacked two people inside the truck. One of the victims resisted the group of robbers and was shot and killed. The victim was a 53-year-old Panamanian man. The trailer truck had a problem and was unable to move, so it was parked there.

Alajuela: "One man stabbed to death" (murder case)
At 2:00 pm on June 6th, two men got into an argument in front of the bus terminal in Alajuela, and a woman approached one of the men and handed him a knife, which he then used to stab and kill the other man. The man and woman fled, but thanks to security camera footage from the Alajuela City Hall, they were arrested within an hour.

"51-year-old woman shot dead" (murder case)
In the early hours of June 7th, a 51-year-old woman (wife) was shot and killed by a 55-year-old man (husband) in Sabanilla, Alajuela. The assailant committed suicide shortly after. According to the family, the victim had suffered from domestic violence by her husband for many years and had been considering divorce.

"19-year-old man stabbed to death" (murder case)
On the night of June 19th, a 19-year-old man was stabbed to death by his 17-year-old cohabiting partner in San Carlos City. At the time of the crime, the woman was intoxicated and is believed to have stabbed the man after an argument. According to the victim's relatives, the two had been living together for two years, the woman drank a lot of alcohol, and the man had been a victim of domestic violence.

●Carthage Prefecture: "38-year-old woman found dead" (murder case)
On the morning of June 6th, the body of a 38-year-old woman was found in a coffee plantation in Turrialba city. The victim's head was found 900 meters away from the coffee plantation. The victim was said to have been a drug addict living on the streets. It is believed that she was killed as a result of a drug-related problem.

Guanacaste province: "Man's burned body discovered" (murder case)
The burned body of a man was found on the street in Liberia City on the morning of June 7. Smoke was coming out of the body when it was discovered, and the identity of the body is still unknown.

Heredia Province: "Planned robbery by 18- and 19-year-old men" (robbery case)
On June 17, an 18-year-old man and a 19-year-old man were arrested in San Rafael on suspicion of attacking cars and motorcycles that arrived after requesting ride-sharing and delivery services. Between April and June of this year, they are said to have been involved in at least five robberies, stealing vehicles and belongings using the above method.

[Contact Information]
Embassy of Japan in Costa Rica, Consular Section
Tel: (506) 2232-1255 Fax: (506) 2231-3140
Email: japon-consulado@sj.mofa.go.jp
URL: https://www.cr.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_ja/index.html
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