Two significant donations were made today by the US Government. We start with the Belize Coast Guard which received a variety of equipment to bolster operations of national security in the fight against transnational crime. At this afternoon’s ceremony it was announced that Belize will be spending twenty-six million dollars for the acquisition of two […]
On Wednesday, ground was ceremoniously broken for the construction of a joint forward operating base near the mouth of the Sarstoon River. Present for the brief formality were a number of government officials, including the ministers of National Security, Education and Public Service. Noticeably absent were other invited guests, particularly the United States Ambassador and […]
A groundbreaking for the Forward Operating Base finally took place this morning at the Sarstoon River in southern Belize. The base will be used to support tactical operations by the B.D.F. and Coastguard within the area. The event is very significant because the adjacent island, as well as the portion of land designated for the […]
While the Guatemalans seem to have had a change of heart in respect of the erection of an F.O.B. on the Belizean side of the Sarstoon River, its government, via a recent diplomatic note, has made a rather absurd request. It is essentially asking that Guatemalan fishermen who continually exploit marine resources in the area […]
As we reported earlier, the official tour of the Sarstoon River, including the proposed site of the Forward Operating Base and the Cadenas outpost, went without incident. While the Guatemalan navy kept a safe distance away from the Belizean contingent, it did not prevent them from launching a drone into Belizean airspace. Upon reaching the […]
Police are investigating a home invasion that occurred on Thursday night in Burrell Boom, Belize District. The residence of the Honorary Counsel of Lebanon and businessman Sarkis Abou Nehra was broken into by a group of men who were seen circling the area earlier in the day. The thieves cut open a safe and lifted […]
COLA applauding the government on any one thing is big. But imagine COLA commending government twice in one interview. That’s what happened today. President Geovanni Brackett and his organization led the charge for a Forward Operating Base at the Sarstoon, and the news of a groundbreaking next week is welcome. Of course, Brackett says that […]
Courage, Commitment and Respect—they are the core values of the Belize National Coast Guard, the maritime forces of the country. Today at the B.D.F. Air Wing, forty-five recruits joined the rank and file of the officers of the coastguard with great pump and circumstance. But the event was two-fold as the coastguard also celebrated his […]
Minister of National Security John Saldivar also made a huge announcement today during his address at the coastguard anniversary celebration. On December ninth, the Government of Belize will be breaking ground on the Sarstoon for the Forward Operating Base that has been a bone of contention between Belize and Guatemala and that has increased sustained […]
The Belize Coastguard held its annual strong man competition over the weekend at different locations. Three days of grueling competition tested the physical fitness of the officers stretching their skills to the max. Five teams comprising forty officers took part in the most competitive challenges to assess their readiness for combat. It ended on Sunday […]
Sixteen days after he allegedly discharged his firearm in public on election night, a close affiliate and supporter of Minister of Police John Saldivar has yet to be charged, or even detained – except for one brief moment when he was in Police custody immediately after the shooting. The incident was caught on video, including […]
Before the Garifuna Settlement Day holiday we caught up with Eastern Division South Commander Chester Williams as he and his officers walked on Oleander Street in the City, meeting and talking with residents. It’s a new initiative which, the statistics are showing, has reaped significant dividends. Williams told us that it’s been a two pronged […]
Williams told News Five that before any community is willing to respond to Police intervention, that department must have legitimacy. The Commander of Eastern Division South claims that slowly, but surely, the Department is earning the respect of the communities they serve, and with that respect comes legitimacy. Supt. Chester Williams, Commander, Eastern Division […]
The police were on the beat this afternoon in both the North and South side of the City. Community policing has become a main strategy for the Police Department’s efforts to build relations with residents. Today Isani Cayetano caught with the officers of Precinct Four. Isani Cayetano, Reporting Officers attached to Precinct Four of […]
The death toll went up by one in San Ignacio where as recent as Sunday morning; a Guatemalan national was stabbed to death as he exited a popular nightclub. That murder was followed by another this morning when a twenty-six year old resident was killed in a drive-by shooting in San Ignacio. Darwin Guerrero was […]
Across the country, final preparations are underway before the opening of polls on Wednesday morning. Among the many responsibilities the police department is tasked with is citizen security. Officers from all formations of law enforcement will be working overtime to ensure that voters are safe and that the peace is kept throughout the process. In […]
There has been escalating tension in the days leading up to the 2015 General Election. There’s the vandalism of signs, aggression by supporters from both parties and then there are criminals, who take the opportunity to rob or burglarize homes during these events. But on Wednesday as residents make their way to the polls to […]
On Sunday morning, police officers attached to Precinct Four of the Belize City Police Department responded to the scene of a fatal traffic accident on the Phillip Goldson Highway, just past the Haulover Bridge. Lying dead on the ground, a short distance from a motorcycle laid the body of one of their own, thirty-eight year […]
Confidential documents show that the aggression by the Guatemalan army and navy started years ago, but intensified dangerously and persistently so since 2010, to the point where the Guatemalans were exercising sovereignty over the Sarstoon. A memo from the Belize Defense Force to the C.E.O. in the Ministry of National Security, dated as recent as […]
A “Basic Intelligence Analysis Training” for officers attached to the Belize Police Department concluded today at the Best Western Biltmore Plaza. The training, which is being coordinated through the Central American Regional Security Initiative, CARSI, is designed to improve the officers’ abilities to analyze data gathered from their communities. But the course takes it a […]
While the training is to enhance the criminal justice system, for corporals Jane Usher and Jermaine Hyde of the Belize Police Department, the training will allow them to better their reporting to the top brass of the department as well as the public. Cpl. Jane Usher, Belize Police Department “We’ve learned a lot of […]
A high-ranking member of the British Army arrived in Belize today and met with Prime Minister Dean Barrow this afternoon. He is Lieutenant General James Everard. One of the main points of discussion involves the reestablishment of BATSUB in Belize due to the increase in training exercises that are taking place on Belizean terrain. News […]
The Belize Defense Force and the British Army Support Unit teamed up today for a joint training exercise to sharpen the skills of the two armies. Belize offers the right terrain for this sort of warfare exercise and the soldiers met the challenge in Gales Point (Manatee). News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports. Isani Cayetano, […]
Bradley says that his client and another Coast Guard officer who was similarly detained are considering legal action against the Police. That’s because they were allegedly held long past the forty-eight hours, and were released only after they threatened to sue – released without any charge or any indication from the Police that they would […]
COLA’s campaign has been focused on the Sarstoon and the need for a military presence at that location. It is a cry that has resonated, especially after footage last week was released which shows a Guatemalan vessel speeding behind a B.D.F. vessel out the Sarstoon. The PM today reiterated the claim that those B.D.F./G.A.F. encounters […]
