Fine for Feuding Lady Coast Guard Officer

Maribel Manzanero

A female coast guard was placed on interdiction in January of 2016 when she attacked and choked another female officer over an old beef that had been festering between them.  After spending days in lock down at the Belize Central Prison awaiting her fate, she was sent home with two court fines. Last year, Maribel Manzanero, was charged with harming Suseli Valdez after a heated confrontation turned violent in their bunk area.   The prosecution alleges that Manzanero attacked, choked and injured Valdez, but in her defence, Manzanero told the court that Valdez caused her own injuries.  Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith did not believe that account and found Manzanero guilty on Friday. Sentencing was on Tuesday and after hearing from character witness, Sochyl Sosa, Manzanero was fined two hundred dollars. Valdez told the court that at the time of the incident, Manzanero became aggressive and trapped her inside the bathroom.  That is when she was held against the wall and even when she tried to scream for help, it was to no avail. In cross examination, it was revealed that Manzanero was once in charge of Valdez and she claimed that Valdez had no respect for her and this is why they had been having problems.