Costa Rica President Fires Seven Police Leaders Over Polygraph Failure

President Laura Fernández of Costa Rica ordered the immediate removal of seven senior police directors from the elite “Fuerza Élite” unit after they failed a polygraph examination. Of the 33 officials tested, the seven who did not pass were dismissed and placed under a preliminary investigation initiated from the president’s office. The tests, coordinated by the Directorate of Intelligence and Security National (DIS) with the international firm IPSC, questioned the officials about links to organized crime, narcotrafficking and illicit benefits. Fernández also instructed Security Minister Gerald Campos to halt all trust appointments within the unit. The action follows the 2022‑2026 administration’s law allowing polygraph use in security forces and is presented as part of a “zero‑tolerance” anti‑corruption policy. “I will be relentless in fighting corruption and cleaning Costa Rica,” the president said. The move targets high‑level corruption concerns in a country that relies on a 15,000‑person public security force to combat rising drug‑related violence.