Who’s in charge at checkpoint: Belize police or D.E.A.?

There is a major anti-drug operation underway in the Orange Walk district, but disturbing reports from Belizeans stopped at a checkpoint on the Northern Highway indicate that it is being operated and directed by agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Two separate accounts to News Five by extremely reliable witnesses say that at a checkpoint set up near Carmelita, Belizean motorists were stopped and questioned by two obviously foreign men wearing D.E.A. t-shirts and identifying themselves as U.S. agents. In both instances, which occurred Sunday evening, members of the Belize Police Department were present, but standing well in the background and did not participate in the initial encounter. The traffic stops were made by the D.E.A. men who proceeded to question the drivers about where they were going and other routine matters. They were reported to be unfailingly friendly and polite, but when questioned by the motorists as to what was going on, made it clear that they were in a position of authority. When we contacted police press officer G. Michael Reid he admitted that a “regional drug operation” was being conducted to take care of some “increased drug activity” in the area. Reid pointed to the excellent working relationship between U.S. and Belizean law enforcement authorities, but did admit that “it was not normally the policy” for non-Belizeans to be making traffic stops and in fact the D.E.A. “should not be doing that.” As for the length of the operation, Reid told News Five that it was “not a permanent thing.” According to one of the motorists, however, the D.E.A. agent told him, “you’re gonna see a lot of us around.”