Director of the Office of Plans and Operations (OPO) from the Judicial Investigation Agency Michael Soto explained that, according to authorities from this institution, organized crime is not out of control in Costa Rican territory.
However, during the first 75 days of the year, homicides have already reached 123 victims, which means 12 more homicides than those registered on the same period in 2016.
I would not talk about losing control, there are certainly more homicides, but we hope that with the coming arrests and some homicides we have yet to resolve, these effects will be minimized,
Soto said.
The official said that the resolution of the shooting that took place in Cieneguita, where an important gang located in Limón was dismantled, must be taken into account.
Authorities say there is a commitment to resolve such incidents.
According to OIJ director Wálter Espinoza, there is an annual average of 570 homicides.
Expert Álvaro Ramos declared that Costa Rican police can stop organized gang war because they have great knowledge of the suspects and the way they operate. Nevertheless, he insisted that legal means should be strengthened to dismantle gangs and that prison sentences should be strong.