U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson met with Costa Rican Foreign Minister Manuel Gonzalez on Wednesday to discuss opportunities for bilateral engagement on border security, information sharing, narcotics control and migration flows through Central America.
The two officials discussed ways to strengthen law enforcement collaboration and information sharing. Both the United States and Costa Rica have robust bilateral law enforcement cooperation and regularly work together to combat transnational organized crime, including enhanced air, land and maritime border management and security.
Johnson said that he supported Costa Rica’s efforts to enhance border security, but noted the importance of engaging regional partners to collectively address illegal migration flows in the region. The two officials made it a point to highlight the long history of agreement between the two nations, specifically regarding democratic freedoms, free trade and other shared values.