Shayanne Castro Charged for Drugs; Did Police Try to Extort Her Family?

Shayanne Castro

Tonight, another member of the Castro family is in the news, this time for drug trafficking. Twenty-seven-year-old Shayanne Castro nee Rosado, wife of Wasani Castro, was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to possession of more than twenty-five pounds of marijuana in the Magistrate’s Court. She retained attorneys Marcel Cardona of Orange Walk and Richard “Dickie” Bradley. But the question tonight is whether the case will survive. There are major allegations of collusion between police and the Castro family to spare Shayanne of the charge.  Her attorneys say they have evidence in the form of audio recordings to prove that the Castro family was given an offer to have the charge of drug trafficking not materialize in exchange for the handing in of four guns and a grenade. The weapons were reportedly turned over, but the attorney did not confirm if a grenade was turned in. But the family that can’t seem to stay out of trouble claims the law reneged on their promises, as Aaron Humes reports.

Aaron Humes, Reporting

Over the weekend, the arrest of the wife of one of Government Minister Edmond Castro’s sons made a frenzy on social media. She is the second member of the Castro family in as many months to face criminal charges along with brother-in-law Jafari. Her husband, Wasani Castro, has twice avoided criminal charges himself. This morning, twenty-seven year old Shayanne Castro appeared before Chief Magistrate Sharon Frazer and denied possessing with intent to supply twelve kilograms or just over twenty-five pounds of marijuana which police found at a residence on Sarstoon Street in Belize City on Saturday. But her attorney, Marcel Cardona, contends that she was set up.

Marcel Cardona

Marcel Cardona, Attorney for Shayanne Castro

“I am aware that there are recordings, there are hints that do prove that indeed, officials from the Police Department sought to broker a deal with the family members, whereby they were, in the interest of security, they were asking that, one, knowing that Miss Shayanne Castro had indeed been baited by them, had been baited by them to that residence, because she was not living in that residence – she lives in Maskall village. And number two, she was simply in the vicinity, approaching the area, to go and pay a visit to her family in the area. And the police then baited her and put – quite illegally, not having found anything whatsoever in her possession, when she was a couple blocks away – commanded her to get into the police vehicle and then took her to the residence, and thereafter instructed her to open the residence, and upon opening the residence or whatever, that is where the whole scenario arises, where they are claiming that she was in possession of whatever.”

The court prosecutor had no objection to bail but asked the court to set conditions given the large quantity of marijuana she was accused of having. Chief Magistrate Sharon Fraser set bail at nine thousand dollars plus two sureties. She must surrender all her travelling documents to the clerk of court and cannot leave the jurisdiction without the permission of the court. Attorney Cardona is left to wonder whether this may all be just a big misunderstanding, complicated by the alleged deal-making gone sour.

Marcel Cardona

“Of course the police, realizing that indeed this poor girl is perhaps a victim of the media frenzy that happens in Belize from time to time – (laughs) I wouldn’t call it the fake news as Mr. Trump refers to it – but there is certainly a media frenzy because of the surname that she is associated with. The police then proceeded to enter into discussions with her through her attorney, etcetera, as to the possibility of if she were able to – through her friends, family and associates – if she were able to assist the police in putting off the streets a number of items that are used regularly to commit crimes and even murders, etcetera, if she were able to assist in getting these things off the street they would be prepared to consider just moving on.”

Shayanne Castro

Police have denied that any such deal took place. But was Shayanne the real target? Cardona says it may have been her husband that they truly wanted.

Marcel Cardona

“They know, they know for a fact, that she does not live at the residence; and they know for a fact that she was only visiting, and they baited her. In fact, they were seeking to bait her husband also. They kept on telling the husband, “Come in, man; come in and see your wife; come in and see your wife…”

Reporter

“That’s Wasani Castro?”

Wasani Castro

Marcel Cardona

“Yes, and the husband said in no uncertain terms, no, no, no; he was highly suspicious of their cordiality and their trying to invite him to come onto the premises or whatever, perhaps to just likewise charge him with the same charges that they have put on the wife at this point in time. So we are confident that our client is indeed not guilty of the crime that she has been charged with; and when her day in court arrives, I believe, and I feel confident that she is going to be able to avail herself of all her legal defenses, and be able to prove her innocence at that point in time.”

Aaron Humes reporting for News Five.

The Special Assignment Team made the bust around six-thirty in the evening. The drugs were found in a black garbage bag and a separate knapsack containing a smaller amount. Shayanne Castro made bail this afternoon and is due back in court on December twenty-second.