According to the Costa Rica Drug Institute the Costa Rican police has seized 127 tons (127,000 kilograms) of cocaine between 2010 and 2017 and a quarter of this is a result of the Jointed Patrol Agreement with the United States. So far this 2017 the police has seized a record 27 tons.

The majority of the drug is transported in boats, however, ground transportation is also common which is why the Ministry of Security has been organizing operations to control this situation by air, sea and land. The drug transported by land is evidence of the existence of storage locations in the country which also has an effect in local consumption since the drug is used many times as a form of payment, explained Michael Soto, chief of operations of the OIJ in an interview with daily La Nacion.

Even though marijuana and crack are the two drugs with higher consumption rates in Costa Rica, the majority of the packets seized are of cocaine. The main route of transportation is by sea, specially through the Pacific coast causing also that touristic areas commonly visited by tourists with high purchasing power turn into important drug dealing markets.

Drug trafficking promotes the formation of gangs and the problems between them as a result of the dispute of certain territories, causing raises in murder rates, violence and other crimes.

The majority of police operations related to drug peddlers take place in San José, followed by Guanacase, Alajuela and Puntarenas and its in this last province where the larger loads have been seized.