Killings looked like paid hit, but motive not clear

While the details of the massacre at sea have been amply described by the survivors, the motive behind the slayings remains shrouded in mystery. Conversations with law enforcement authorities and residents of Punta Gorda have presented a number of possible motives, all of which at this point are based on speculation. What all the theories have in common, however, is that the men who opened fire on the crew of the Mariestela were hired hit men…and it appears that their target was the Requena’s. Strong evidence for this view is that the gunmen did not attempt to rob any of the passengers. They also threw life preservers to the passengers who had either jumped or were thrown out of the boat. Add to this the testimony that the pirates circled back to the swimmers and repeatedly fired at Ernesto Requena and you have a strong case for a contract killing. But why kill the Requenas? One theory is that their boat, with its large capacity and big engines, was extremely valuable as a drug runner and the killing was simply secondary to the boat theft. This is highly unlikely as well heeled drug dealers can easily buy boats or steal them without the inconvenience of murder, which only brings unwanted heat. In short, you didn’t have to kill the captains to steal their boat. Another theory is that the business of ferrying passengers between Belize and Guatemala is a lucrative one, but one in which the competition is fierce. This theory holds that the Requenas became embroiled in an escalating business conflict with the Guatemalan based company that runs a competing service and the Guatemalans went one step too far to wipe out their competitor. A third scenario is the standard motive for virtually any unsolved murder in Belize: drugs. Either the Requena family was involved in the drug business–for which there is not a shred of evidence–or, because they piloted boats through a stretch of sea that is one big dropzone for cocaine, they may have known things that they were not supposed to know. About a year ago, 6 Guatemalan fishermen were killed after they allegedly picked up the proceeds of a wet drop that was intended for others. Could the same fate have been intended for the operators of the Mariestela? At this point whoever knows the answers is either on the run or not in any mood to talk.