Belizean Auto Dealers Attacked and Robbed in Mexico

Five Belizeans are in Acayucan, a city in Veracruz, Mexico after they were attacked overnight and robbed of their travel documents, cash and other personal items. The men were towing several vehicles from the U.S. en route to Belize and were in the hills coming into the Mexican city when they were accosted by what John Bermudez says were as many as twelve men. Logs were placed across the road to cut off their path; their attackers carried machetes and guns and demanded money. Caesar Quiroz was also chopped in the process and is hospitalized. The ordeal went on for a few minutes before the bandits escaped. The men made it to a toll road in the city where they were provided with some assistance by the Federales. They are now seeking the assistance of the Belizean government to get them safely home. Earlier today, News Five spoke via phone with Bermudez.

On the Phone: John Bermudez, Attacked by Mexican Bandits

“There were about eight to ten bandits and they came aggressively. They were negotiating at all. They came with their machetes and their guns and they were asking…all of them were talking at the same time—some giving orders, some telling us what to do so it was very confusing.”

Duane Moody

“Where are you guys now cause I understand that one of your companions were injured. So where are you guys now?”

On the Phone: John Bermudez

“We are still sitting at the toll, right across the toll in a parking for trucks. After everything, I still had a car that wasn’t towing anything. So once the bandits said we could leave, I drove to the toll and I got help there and then the help went there and they got the tow truck to tow the car that was flipped over and the car that was towing that. We haven’t been able to contact any government officials; we’ve been trying to do that through different resources and stuff and hopefully we hear from them soon. Somebody told us that we should be receiving a call from the ambassador in Mexico or something, but at the moment we are just trying to rig up the cars so that we can tow them to a different location. This is the first time I am doing this road trip; the other guys have been robbed before, but they were robbed by cartel guys that were more cordial. But these guys were very like on drugs. They were very high and they were aggressive. They were saying that they were gonna kill us.”