Costa Rican President Laura Fernández on Monday submitted a package of legislative proposals to the National Assembly aimed at strengthening public security, combating organized crime, and reforming the country’s prison system.

The president said the measures are designed to reinforce the government’s response to rising criminal violence and provide law enforcement authorities with stronger tools to confront growing security challenges.

Among the key initiatives is the proposed “Firm Hand Against Repeat Offenders Law,” which would establish mandatory pretrial detention for suspects accused of repeat criminal offenses, limiting judges’ ability to impose alternative precautionary measures.

The legislative package also includes the “Law to Combat Criminal Organizations,” which would impose prison sentences ranging from one to six years for individuals who participate in criminal groups. Penalties could increase to as much as 20 years for those linked to organizations involved in terrorism, drug trafficking, kidnapping, human trafficking, arms trafficking, or organ trafficking.

Another proposal, known as the “Zero Idleness in Prisons Law,” seeks to expand vocational training and paid work opportunities for inmates. Under the initiative, earnings generated by prisoners would help cover incarceration costs, support their families, and contribute to compensation for crime victims.

Fernández also introduced legislation aimed at expanding legal protections for police officers acting in self-defense and increasing penalties for individuals who assault or resist law enforcement personnel.

“It is now up to you, members of Congress, to make the decisions that our police officers and the families of crime victims have been waiting for,” the president told lawmakers as she urged them to support the reforms.

The president additionally highlighted progress on the construction of the High Containment Center Against Organized Crime (CACCO), a maximum-security prison modeled after the strategy implemented by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.

According to Fernández, the project is currently 36 percent complete and forms part of a broader effort to strengthen Costa Rica’s capacity to confront organized crime and improve public safety.

The proposed reforms now move to the Legislative Assembly, where lawmakers will debate the measures and determine whether they will become part of Costa Rica’s legal framework in the coming months.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced Tuesday that it had disrupted an alleged plot to attack the White House during a major Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event held in Washington over the weekend.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the threat was identified on June 10 through a joint investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies. According to Patel, swift action by authorities led to the arrest of several suspects before the alleged plan could be carried out.

“On June 10, the FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat targeting UFC America 250 in Washington. Thanks to the rapid response of the FBI and our partners, multiple individuals are now in custody, and the alleged attack plans were stopped before they could be executed,” Patel said.

He emphasized that the operation demonstrated the ability of security agencies to detect and prevent potential threats at large public gatherings. Patel added that the investigation remains ongoing and that additional details will be released as court proceedings move forward.

According to reports from U.S. media outlets, five individuals have been arrested so far. The suspects were identified as Tycen Proper of Ohio, Daniel Eskridge of Missouri, Abraham Hermosillo Álvarez of Nebraska, and Bryan Omar Roa and Michael Alan Thomas, both from California. Authorities are also investigating the possible involvement of 18 additional individuals.

Investigators allege that the plot involved the use of drones equipped with explosives to target buildings near the sporting event. The plan reportedly sought to trigger a mass evacuation and direct attendees toward areas where snipers were allegedly positioned. Authorities further claim that a second phase of the operation included an attempted assault on the White House.

The U.S. Secret Service confirmed that it worked closely with the FBI throughout the operation. Secret Service Director Sean Curran stated that security teams conducted extensive efforts to identify those involved and eliminate any threat to attendees and protected facilities.

The investigation reportedly uncovered communications conducted through the messaging application Signal, where several suspects allegedly discussed details related to the planned attack. A forensic analysis of one of the seized mobile phones revealed at least 23 users participating in conversations connected to the alleged planning activities.

Court documents also indicate that some of the suspects allegedly intended to target U.S. political figures. Among the reported targets were members of Congress who had received contributions from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Investigators further stated that one of the primary suspects had posted antisemitic messages and expressions of support for Adolf Hitler on social media, evidence that is now part of the ongoing judicial investigation.

A pro-government media outlet in Nicaragua published on Sunday a series of photographs showing Indigenous leader Steadman Fagoth Müller during a visit from his wife at the National Penitentiary System, days after an opposition alliance demanded proof of life, citing concerns that he could be a political prisoner subjected to enforced disappearance.

The images were shared by the outlet El 19 on its website, with a caption stating that the photos were taken during a scheduled prison visit on Friday, June 12, between Fagoth and his wife, Dr. Stefany Martínez.

The publication includes eleven photographs in which the Indigenous leader and former presidential adviser on Indigenous affairs appears seated with his wife in a room where two meals are served on a table. The images also carry a watermark indicating the date 12.06.2026 and the time 11:13.

The release of the photos comes after the opposition coalition Unidad Nacional Azul y Blanco called on the government of co-presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo to provide proof of life for at least nine political prisoners allegedly held in conditions of enforced disappearance, including Fagoth.

The request followed the recent death in state custody of Indigenous leader Brooklyn Rivera Brayan, aged 73, which was reported by the Ministry of Health on May 31. Rivera had been arrested in September 2023.

Fagoth, a former presidential adviser on Indigenous policy, was detained by Nicaraguan police in September 2024 on allegations of attempting to “remove organic weapons” from the army.

His arrest came a day after local media circulated statements in which he criticized environmental damage caused by the arrival of armed non-Indigenous settlers in the Bosawás Reserve, a remote area near the Honduras border inhabited by Miskito and Mayangna communities.

The publication of the photographs has intensified scrutiny over the condition and legal status of detained opposition-linked figures in Nicaragua.