The Tico consul in Nicaragua resigned this week amid charges that he smuggled foreigners into Costa Rica.
The consul, Víctor Láscarez, is suspected of escorting a Jordanian and a Lebanese man through the northern border in a diplomatic car in September.
“He used his consular powers in a way that could undermine confidence in his judgment and may have affected national security,” said Presidency Minister Rodrigo Arias.
Láscarez temporarily stepped down March 15 while a government ethics committee investigated the case. The committee found that Láscarez abused his diplomatic authority by bringing people into Costa Rica in a car with diplomatic plates, Arias said. He declined to reveal more details.