Costa Rican Border Police agents patrolling a rainforest in Sierpe, Costa Rica. Costa Rica’s lush rainforests, which blanket a quarter of the country, are being infiltrated by cartels on a quest to find new trafficking routes to evade the authorities. — ©2024 The New York Times Company
CHRISTIAN Puchi strapped on his machete, made sure his team was doused in mosquito repellent and prepared for another day patrolling the rainforest.
Once conservationists tracking jaguars and turtles, these forest rangers now face a new and far more dangerous threat: violent drug cartels.
