Costa Rica Designates IRGC and Major Iranian Proxies as Terrorist Organizations Amid Regional Security Shift

President Rodrigo Chaves designates the IRGC, Hezbollah, Hamas, and Houthis as terrorist organizations to strengthen Costa Rica’s national security.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 11, 2026, 4:37 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from FDD

Strategic Alignment Against Transnational Terror Networks

Costa Rica has taken a decisive step in regional security by formally designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and three of Iran’s primary proxies—Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Yemen-based Houthis—as terrorist organizations. The administration of President Rodrigo Chaves confirmed the measure on April 9, 2026, citing an immediate need to protect national security. According to the Foreign Ministry, this designation is designed to equip judicial and intelligence authorities with the legal framework necessary to detect and prosecute logistical and financial support networks that may be operating within the country. This move places Costa Rica among a growing number of Western Hemisphere nations seeking to curtail the influence of the Tehran regime.

Countering Money Laundering and Narcoterrorism

The timing of this designation coincides with a critical "mutual evaluation" conducted by the regional body of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). As a nation designated by the United States as a major transit point for narcotics, Costa Rica faces persistent challenges from criminal enterprises seeking to wash illicit funds. Expert testimony from late 2025 indicated that a cash-strapped Hezbollah has increasingly turned to Latin American drug money laundering to bolster its global finances. By labeling these groups as terrorist entities, Costa Rica gains new tactical advantages in its counternarcotics efforts, allowing for more aggressive seizures of assets linked to Iranian-backed militancy.

Contextualizing Iran’s Malign Reach in the Americas

Costa Rica’s policy shift follows alarming revelations regarding Iranian military cooperation with regional neighbors. Recent reports detailed an aborted $400 million plan by the former Venezuelan Defense Ministry to purchase Iranian ballistic missile systems capable of reaching U.S. soil. While that plan was thwarted following U.S. warnings to the now-ousted Nicolas Maduro regime, the incident underscored the depth of Iran’s penetration into the Western Hemisphere. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently noted that the political shift in Venezuela signifies that the region will no longer serve as a safe haven for Hezbollah or IRGC operatives.