Suspected Chiquibul bandits detained in Guatemala

After months of living at the mercy of armed bandits, tonight Cayo hoteliers and tour operators are breathing a little easier after reports that the primary suspects in a series of armed robberies are now in the custody of Guatemalan law enforcement authorities. But the question has now become: will they ever face justice in a court of law? Sources tell News Five that on Monday, Guatemalan police officers conducted a raid on a house in Flores, Peten and found nine men inside. All the occupants were in possession of unlicensed and illegal firearms. The violation is a minor offence across the border but the suspects were unable to meet bail. The story was aired on a local radio station and eventually the Belizeans got wind of the arrests and visited the jail. Two of the detainees were identified as perpetrators of the armed attacks at tourist destinations in the Cayo district. Mug shots of all nine detainees have since been obtained and are being circulated to various victims to verify if they are in fact the group of men that have been terrorizing the west. Once some ironclad IDs have been made, it is hoped that the increased cross border cooperation promoted by those “confidence building measures” will result in the suspects being turned over for trial in Belize.