Missing Persons in Costa Rica

What to do in Locating Missing Persons in Costa Rica

Kim ParisLocating missing persons in Costa Rica is much different from the methods and techniques used in the United States. There are numerous people that have gone missing in Costa Rica and have to date not been found. It is important that if you find yourself in this situation, you understand that the authorities here neither have the resources nor the motivation to find the missing person. The one thing that is absolutely necessary is to get someone involved to start looking for the missing person. The longer the time the greater the chance that the person will not be located. Please remember that the longer you wait the colder the trail will become. Additionally, don’t expect much help from the U.S. Embassy. They will take the information and tell you they will contact Costa Rica Police. However, make sure you report the missing person to the Embassy.

 

1st Thing to do in Locating Missing Persons in Costa Rica

The first thing you should do in locating missing persons in Costa Rica is to report the incident to your local law enforcement agency. When you do so give them as much information as humanly possible. Although the local law enforcement agency will have little to lend to the search and recovery of the missing person, it is one of the first things that the American Embassy in Costa Rica will ask you. Do not delay in making the missing person report to the police. All of the cases that we have handled have had considerable time lapses between the disappearance and reporting of the person missing. Each moment that passes with nothing being initiated to locate the person further reduces the chances of the person being found.

2nd Thing to do in Locating Missing Persons in Costa Rica

Call the American Embassy in Costa Rica. If you are calling from the States dial 011-506-2519-2000 and ask for extension 2453. Alternatively, if it is after business hours or the weekend, send an email to acssanjose@state.gov and provide all of the information about the missing person including but not limited to; photographs, flight itinerary, hotel reservation, date of arrival, anticipated date of departure, photographs, and the reason you suspect the person is missing.

3rd Thing to do

It is necessary that the missing person be reported missing to the Judicial Police in Costa Rica. They are commonly referred to as OIJ. If you call them be prepared to have someone who speaks Spanish as there are no resources for English. Costa Rica Law requires that an immediate member of the missing person’s family report the incident. They will not accept the missing person report from a third party. This must be done in person by the immediate family member. Thus be prepared to make arrangements for the immediate family member to travel to Costa Rica to make the report.

Alternatively, an immediate family member can go to the nearest Costa Rica Consulate and report the person missing. They will need the same information as previously outlined for the American Embassy. This will further delay the missing person investigation as the bureaucracy of the Costa Rica government moves slowly.

The Last thing to do

Probably the most important of all is not to procrastinate in reporting the missing loved one in Costa Rica. Also, equally important to retain the services of a professional and reliable private investigator to begin searching immediately.  The longer time in retaining the services of such a professional only means that the trail will be colder by the minute. Years of experience have taught me that it is imperative to get on this search as soon as possible.