Eight charged, three sought in drug plane case

Over the holiday weekend following the dramatic landing of a drug plane on the Northern Highway, police have arrested eight men and are looking for three others. According to investigators, Orange Walk residents forty-four year old Anthony Thurton, fifty year old Ricardo Rivera, twenty-two year old Luis Novelo, eighteen year old Irvin Cantun, nineteen year old Victor Torres, twenty-two year old Roy Lanza, forty-four year old Arnauldo Rivas and thirty-nine year old Caesar Canche all played a role in Friday’s brazen early morning operation. When the accused appeared before Magistrate Headley Stewart today, they were formally charged with Conspiracy to Land an Aircraft, Control of Aviation Fuel, Landing of Aircraft and Obstruction to Free Flow of Traffic. All eight were denied bail and remanded to prison. Around two on Friday morning, a Beechcraft King Air landed between miles forty and forty-one on the Northern Highway. While it is believed the plane was full of drugs, the cargo had already been unloaded and no narcotics were found on board. Law enforcement officials showed up while the drug runners were refueling the aircraft and in the ensuing shootout, it is believed at least one person was injured. That man has yet to be detained. Another suspect still at large is Zacharias Copo, whose delivery truck containing a large plastic vat and a number of containers of aviation fuel was found abandoned nearby. The pilot and co-pilot of the plane are also being sought by authorities. While a Venezuelan sticker was found on board, it is believed the aircraft took off from Colombia.