Over the past week alone, six foreigners have been detained by police, and some already have their deportation orders approved, said the Public Security Ministry press office.

A directive was issued to tighten controls on foreigners with criminal records or behaviors by Costa Rica’s Minister of Public Security Gustavo Mata Vega in the wake of the May 15 shootout in Guachipelín, Escazú. The shooting involved a foreigner, injured a student near the scene, and shocked the country due to its rush-hour occurrence at the entrance to a private school.

The country’s migration police officials are coordinating with the national police force through the intelligence agency (DIS, in Spanish) on increased surveillance and arrests of foreigners; this led to the detection of the six foreigners over the past week with suspicious backgrounds.

Today a Mexican by the last name of Alvarez, accompanied by two others who arrived in a private plane (plate N65JR) were listed on an Interpol alert for bank fraud, and so were refused entry and expelled from the country. They reported to immigration officials they were planning to spend a day in Escazú, San José, and were carrying US$2,000 in cash, said security press officials.

Wednesday, two foreigners traveling together in Santa Ana, San José were detained: one a U.S. national by the last name of Louis, and the other, a Canadian-Iraqi national by the last name of Wasseim. They were carrying a firearm inside their vehicle.

After being questioned by the public prosecutor’s office, they were turned over to immigration authorities who found that one had an “irregular immigration status,” and the other had an expired tourist visa. Both will be deported, said the security ministry. Wasseim was also discovered to have brought US$20 thousand dollars into the country without a declaration.

And finally, the recent roundups included the detention of a Swedish individual last Wednesday in Puntarenas. He was found to have an “irregular immigration status,” and in Costa Rican police databases has several accusations for robbery and domestic violence. Authorities said they would proceed with his deportation.

Since May 15 –  a little less than three weeks –  police report having detained 17 foreigners of different nationalities who were arrested on suspicion of connection with different crimes. These individuals include four Colombians, four Nicaraguans, three Mexicans, one Spaniard, one Peruvian, one Swede, one Honduran, one American, and one Canadian-Iraqi. Some of these have been processed for deportation.