COSTA RICA · SECURITY
Key Facts
- —What is happening President Laura Fernández declared six Mexican cartels and three Colombian armed groups narcoterrorist organisations on Wednesday, 14 October, at the opening of the Cacco prison in Alajuela, and no decree or legal text for the list is known.
- —Why it matters The announcement puts a US partner in Central America close to Washington’s terrorism lists, because all six cartels and the ELN already sit on the US list of foreign terrorist organisations.
- —The numbers Nine groups are named, six Mexican and three Colombian; the US designated the six cartels on Thursday, 20 February 2025 and the ELN on 8 October 1997, and its list does not show the Sierra Nevada group.
- —Who is who Laura Fernández is Costa Rica’s president, and her predecessor Rodrigo Chaves is now Minister of the Presidency and Finance; the Shield of the Americas is a US-led security coalition against drug trafficking.
- —What to watch Whether the government publishes a decree or legal text for the list, and Fernández’s visit to El Salvador on Friday, 16 October to meet President Nayib Bukele.
- —Power Index Costa Rica ranks 9th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 36.5 points (October 2026 edition).
- —What it means for you A close US partner has named six Mexican cartels that Washington already treats as terrorist organisations, but no travel rule, sanction or asset freeze has been announced, so no change for visitors or US firms is described.
President Laura Fernández has declared six Mexican cartels and three Colombian armed groups narcoterrorist organisations. She announced it at the opening of a new high-security prison, and no decree has been cited.
President Laura Fernández declared nine narcoterrorist groups on Wednesday, 14 October, in an announcement reported without a decree or legal text. Six are Mexican cartels and three are Colombian armed groups, and the six cartels are already on the US terrorist list.
Fernández announced it at the opening of the Cacco, a high-security prison in Alajuela, and thanked the US government. La Nación, El Mundo and Stay TV carried the announcement, and none says what legal effect it has.
What Fernández Announced About the Narcoterrorist Groups
Fernández announced the list at the opening of the Cacco, the Centro de Alta Contención contra el Crimen Organizado, in Alajuela. La Nación and El Mundo posted the news at about 2:11 p.m. Costa Rica time, or 4:11 p.m. ET.
The Mexican groups are the Sinaloa, Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Noreste, Golfo, Nueva Familia Michoacana and Cárteles Unidos cartels. The Colombian groups are the FARC, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada.
Fernández said Costa Rica is using every resource within its reach to halt the advance of narcoterrorism. La Nación reports that she expanded the number of organisations Costa Rica has declared "narcoterroristas".
Where the Narcoterrorist Groups Meet the US List
The State Department’s public list shows all six Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organisations, designated on Thursday, 20 February 2025. The ELN has been on it since 8 October 1997.
The list carries FARC-EP and Segunda Marquetalia, designated on 1 December 2021, and dropped the original FARC entry that day. None of the outlets says which FARC faction Costa Rica means.
The Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada do not appear on the State Department list opened for this article. Costa Rica’s list therefore tracks the US list closely, but not exactly.
El Mundo and Stay TV report that Fernández thanked the US government for its support. No US statement on the list appears in the coverage read.
The April List and the Shield of the Americas
In April, then-President Rodrigo Chaves and his ministers declared four Middle Eastern groups terrorist organisations. They were Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis of Yemen, Delfino and El Mundo reported on 8 April.
Then Security Minister Mario Zamora said it would mean tighter migration and border checks and bank inquiries into suspect funds. Delfino and El Mundo give no decree number or legal basis.
The Presidency’s 24 September bulletin calls the Shield a US-led security coalition, a key space against drug trafficking and organised crime. That day Fernández dismissed Foreign Minister Tovar for attending the 22 September session without telling her.
Earlier coverage of the dispute is in Costa Rica Releases Rubio Invitation for 22 September. The prison opening where the list was announced is in Costa Rica Opens Gang Prison for 5,100.
Who Is Who Behind the Announcement
Laura Fernández is Costa Rica’s president, and her government presented a package of hard-line anti-crime laws in June. Her predecessor Rodrigo Chaves is now Minister of the Presidency and Finance.
The ELN is a Colombian guerrilla group, and the original FARC left the US list in 2021 after the 2016 peace accord. The third Colombian group is named for the Sierra Nevada mountains, and the US designated the six cartels in 2025.
What It Means for US Readers
A US partner in Central America has named six Mexican cartels that Washington already designates as foreign terrorist organisations. No travel rule, sanction or asset freeze has been announced with the list, and the coverage describes no change for visitors.
Costa Rica is popular with US travellers, and Costa Rica Safety for Retirees: What the Numbers Show covers homicide data. For US firms and banks with Costa Rican operations, the open question is whether the list carries any legal force.
What Is Not Known
None of the coverage read says whether the list rests on a decree, a law or a council decision. Nor does it say what the list triggers, and the Presidency’s news page showed no item on it on 15 October.
It is not known which FARC faction is meant, or what evidence ties each group to Costa Rica. The coverage read for this article carries no reaction from Washington, Mexico City or Bogotá.
El Mundo and Stay TV print "del Noroeste" for one cartel, the former Zetas; La Nación and Infobae print "del Noreste". This article uses Noreste, the name on the US list.
What Comes Next
Fernández visits El Salvador on Friday, 16 October to meet President Nayib Bukele and tour the CECOT prison. The Cacco, which has room for 5,100 inmates, is due to receive its first prisoners at the end of October.
Career diplomat Ana Elena Pinto Lizano takes office as foreign minister on Thursday, 15 October, the Presidency announced on 5 October. That notice does not mention the list or the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which groups did Costa Rica name narcoterrorist?
Six Mexican cartels: Sinaloa, Jalisco Nueva Generación, Noreste, Golfo, Nueva Familia Michoacana and Cárteles Unidos. Three Colombian groups: the FARC, the ELN and the Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada.
Who announced it and when?
President Laura Fernández announced it on Wednesday, 14 October, at the opening of the Cacco prison in Alajuela. No outlet cites a decree or legal text for the list.
Are the groups on the US terrorist list?
The State Department list shows all six Mexican cartels and the ELN, but not the Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada. It carries FARC-EP and Segunda Marquetalia rather than the original FARC.
Does the list change anything for tourists?
No travel rule, sanction or asset freeze has been announced with it. The coverage read describes no change for visitors.
What is the Shield of the Americas?
The Presidency describes it as a US-led security coalition against drug trafficking and organised crime. Fernández dismissed her foreign minister on 24 September over how he handled its 22 September session.
Has Costa Rica made such a declaration before?
Yes, in April then-President Rodrigo Chaves and his ministers declared Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis terrorist organisations. That list covered Middle Eastern groups, not drug cartels.
Sources: La Nación, 14 October; El Mundo, 14 October; Stay TV, 14 October; Infobae México, 15 October; La Nación, Cacco opening; Delfino, Cacco opening, 15 October; US State Department, Foreign Terrorist Organizations list; Delfino, April terrorist list, 8 April; El Mundo, April terrorist list, 8 April; Presidency of Costa Rica, 24 September bulletin; Presidency of Costa Rica, 5 October bulletin; Presidency of Costa Rica, news page (all accessed 15 October 2026).