Coast Guard Seize High Grade Weed Near Consejo

A joint law enforcement operation in the vicinity of Consejo, in the Corozal District, has resulted in the seizure of a quantity of high-grade marijuana believed to have been smuggled from neighboring Mexico.  On Wednesday afternoon, coast guard, B.D.F. and customs personnel were patrolling the Rio Hondo River in an area known as Estereo when they came across a vessel traveling along the waterway.  The occupants of the small boat, upon sighting the team, beat a hasty retreat into the surrounding wilderness, leaving behind a little over six pounds of premium cannabis.  According to Operations Officer, Lieutenant Greg Soberanis, the drugs were destined for the local market since a majority of the quality narcotics entering Belize are brought in from across the northern border.

Greg Soberanis

Lt. Greg Soberanis, Operations Officer, BNCG

“For quite some time now we’ve been providing support to customs in the area of Consejo by having a coastguard team stationed at that location.  Through interagency collaboration, cooperation, coordination, yesterday at around two p.m. a joint taskforce operation was conducted with the customs and the BDF personnel stationed at Consejo.  We know based on information received that that area is a corridor for contraband and narco-trafficking.  The patrol was conducted up the Rio Hondo, in the area of Estereo, or Ramanal, on the Mexican side and a small vessel was sighted and upon seeing the security forces, the modus operandi is usually they would abandon the vessel and leave the content behind.  The team quickly responded and a search of the area was conducted where a quantity of cannabis was discovered.  To be precise, it was six point eight pounds of cannabis.  So it was seized and we brought it here to coastguard headquarters after we spoke with our customs counterparts and this morning it was handed over to the anti-narcotics unit.”

Isani Cayetano

“Do you know if this drugs were destined for Belize or to the Mexian side of the border?”

Lt. Greg Soberanis

“It was destined for the Belizean market.  We know that much of the high grade cannabis that hits the Belizean market is currently being transported from Mexico.  So we know it was coming from Mexico or the Belizean market.  In fact, just yesterday evening again a joint taskforce operation that we conducted with the police and the Belize Port Authority at the marinas here in Belize City, the team discovered a package that was destined for San Pedro.  They found, again, the high grade cannabis in one of the packages that was randomly searched.  So we can see that it is prevalent and it is something that we look for while conducting operations.”