15 held in illegal smuggling of persons into Belize

There may be a break in the illegal smuggling of persons into Belize who eventually make their way to the United States via Mexico. Fifteen Central Americans and Taiwanese nationals are in police custody tonight after police intercepted them just after one o’clock this morning. The group is believed to have entered the country illegally from the western border point. Police are also holding a Belizean from Corozal Town, thirty-one year old Antonio Castillo who is believed to be an agent in the smuggling ring. The group was intercepted at the Burrell Boom checkpoint and were travelling in a grey Ford Ranger pick-up truck which carried Corozal license plates and belongs to Castillo. According to our sources, the group is made up of four Taiwanese and the others are Salvadorans and Guatemalans. Police seized their passports but there is no entry record of their arrival to Belize and it is believed that they may have entered from Guatemala at the Western border, but avoided the customs and immigration office and were making their way to Mexico with the United States as their final destination.