Marine and Aviation Experts Searching for Fuselage

The Belize Coast Guard is recreating the possible scenarios that led to a suspected drug plane crashing off the coast of Placencia, in an attempt to locate its fuselage. As we have reported, authorities have since retrieved the wings and tail, but the body of the plane is yet to be found. Today, we spoke to Acting Commandant of the Belize Coast Guard Gregory Soberanis who told us that a team comprised of marine and aviation experts has been formed.

Commander Gregory Soberanis, Acting Commandant, Belize Coast Guard

“The coast guard received a call from the joint intelligence operating centre that a suspected drug aircraft had crash landed into the sea. We immediately responded to the area that was given to us and we discovered a portion of the wing of the aircraft.”

Duane Moody

“The commissioner of police has gone on record to say that he believes the fuselage has been towed away. We don’t know by who but it has been removed from the crash site. We don’t know by who, but it has been removed from the crash site. Is that what you guys have found out on the ground?”

Gregory Soberanis

Commander Gregory Soberanis

“We are looking at different leads right now. A lot of information has been coming in, one being that the one you just mentioned. However, we are looking at various possibilities. As t relates to the coast guard and what we are doing, we are looking at a variety of factors and we have pooled together through JIOC, a group of experts, aviation experts, us being the maritime experts. And we are looking how that plane came in, creating different scenarios of what could have happened. And based on that we are conducting our operation.”