Peñas BlancasGangs robbed at least 156 truckloads in Costa Rica in 2025.
Private security adds up to 25% to the cost of each container.
Thieves smash cab windows, hold pistols or machetes to drivers and strip trucks while they wait at the Nicaragua border.
“They rob us while we wait,” said Irvin Pérez, a Panamanian trucker.
Queues at Peñas Blancas run 15 to 20 kilometres and can take four days to clear.
How each outlet framed it
- InSight Crime leans critical
- reports from inside a Peñas Blancas truck line, showing how drivers are robbed while waiting up to four days at the border
Sources: InSight Crime