Costa Rica’s Minister of Public Security, Mario Zamora, made a public complaint before the deputies of the Legislative Assembly, stating that a criminal network operates in the north of the country that extracts gold and transports it to Nicaragua, where it is stockpiled and processed by Chinese mining companies.

The minister believes that the phenomenon has ceased to be an isolated event and has become a transnational organized crime network, with logistics, financing, and stable routes to move large quantities of sediment out of the country.

According to official data, illegal mining has increased from affecting 900 hectares to over 3,000 hectares. It is estimated that between 10,000 and 15,000 artisanal miners enter Costa Rica to collect materials in areas such as Crucitas, in the province of Alajuela.

“This phenomenon affects not only the ecological sovereignty of our country, but the sovereignty of our nation in general terms, since 90% of the artisanal miners are foreign citizens, essentially Nicaraguans who cross the border to participate in this illegal activity.”

Mario Zamora, Minister of Public Security of Costa Rica.

According to the minister, 200 members of the Public Force were deployed in the border area. The officers destroyed more than 114 tunnels, arrested 125 people caught in the act, and apprehended more than 3,692 people for related crimes.

In less than three years, the Nicaraguan government has granted mining concessions to 16 Chinese companies, covering more than 1 million hectares. Much of the land granted is located near the border with Costa Rica.

Mining in Nicaragua reports lower gold production than exports. In 2022, official production was 8.5 tons, while exports totaled 11.8 tons. That same year, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned several Nicaraguan mining companies for serving as a transit point for Venezuelan gold.

Gold became Nicaragua’s top export. Through the first quarter of 2025, the country received $135 million in gold export revenue.

The Rodrigo Chaves government is trying to push through a bill to revive gold mining in Crucitas, but it faces opposition from environmentalists and some opposition groups.