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Costa Rican President Laura Fernandez said potential U.S. ground operations in Costa Rica could strengthen national security if focused on combating transnational crime, drug trafficking and terrorism. However, she stressed that no concrete plan is currently being discussed with Washington.
Speaking to Reuters on Friday, Fernandez said any deployment of U.S. forces on Costa Rican territory would require approval from the country’s legislature.
“It would obviously be very good for national security if it were about pursuing a common objective against transnational crime, transnational drug trafficking, transnational terrorism,” Fernandez said.
Costa Rica and the United States have maintained longstanding security cooperation, including joint maritime patrols. U.S. President Donald Trump has also invited Costa Rica to participate in his Shield of the Americas coalition, an initiative focused on fighting drug cartels.
Fernandez, a right-wing populist who took office in May, campaigned on a tough approach to crime as Costa Rica struggles with increased drug trafficking and violence. The country’s homicide rate reached a record 17.2 deaths per 100,000 people in 2023, roughly twice the level recorded a decade earlier.
Despite those concerns, Fernandez said she does not plan to ask Congress to declare a state of emergency or suspend constitutional guarantees. Court figures show homicides declined 14% during the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.
Fernandez has also intensified criticism of Costa Rica’s judiciary, accusing the court system of moving too slowly, releasing convicted criminals before completing their sentences and suffering from possible corruption and administrative failures.
Her government supports major budget reductions for the judicial branch and a proposal that would give Congress, rather than the Supreme Court, authority to appoint the attorney general.
Judicial officials have rejected Fernandez’s corruption allegations and called on her to provide evidence. They have also warned that planned budget cuts for 2026 and 2027 could weaken democratic checks and balances while making Costa Rica’s fight against organized crime more difficult.
