More than twenty B.D.F. officers are now trained on marksmanship and combat readiness. The month-long training was carried out by the United States Marine Corps and a ceremony was held earlier today to mark the completion of the rigid program, which prepared the soldiers to improve their operations especially along the border points. News Five’s […]
The first release from the National Security Council, issued just before the expedition on Sunday, broke the news of “countless encounters” between the B.D.F. and Guatemalan military. The release speaks also of attempted interceptions, and the clear indication is that this has been happening since the B.D.F. started travelling up the Sarstoon to change troops […]
So will the Coast Guard’s Forward Operating Base be constructed at the mouth of the Sarstoon? And if so…when? The F.O.B. has been on the drawing board for eight years now, and credible sources tell us that funding has already been sourced from the UK. The last we heard was that Guatemala had objected to […]
On Sunday, the Coast Guard made its presence felt in Barranco, as they checked to ensure the safety of passengers and vessels headed to the Sarstoon. But they couldn’t do more than that, and were nowhere around when Belizeans were stopped by the Guatemalan navy at the mouth of the Sarstoon. Neither was the B.D.F., […]
The Prime Minister claims that following Sunday’s incident with the Guatemalan Navy, there is no doubt that tensions and thus the risk and danger has increased, not only to the BTV contemplating a return trip, but also to B.D.F. soldiers who must traverse the Sarstoon every week. Commander of the B.D.F. Brigadier-General David Jones echoed […]
Seventy percent of the population of SICA member countries identify crime as the main threat to sustainable human development and one of the biggest contributors is the trafficking of illegal small and light weapons influenced by the extensive legal and illegal market for such weapons. To control firearms trafficking and reducing violence with a firearm […]
Sunday’s expedition to Sarstoon Island will see a rather large civilian contingent representing various organizations, including the Northern Territorial Volunteers and COLA. The maritime leg of the journey, from Barranco to the southernmost tributary separating Belize and Guatemala, will be covered without the protection of the coast guard. Likewise, the trek to the remote location […]
A cohort of naval officers attached to the Belize National Coast Guard graduated earlier today after completing an intensive curriculum geared towards promoting them to marines. For the past several weeks, the class of sixteen has been under the tutelage of the United States Marines, receiving advanced training in weapons handling, marksmanship, as well as […]
The introduction of illegal firearms presents a huge challenge for the region; this week a training exercise is taking place in Belize with the support of Central American Integration System, SICA, to strengthen the competence of the Customs and Police Department. These are the agencies at the forefront in the fight against the smuggling of […]
An abandoned helicopter, presumably used for narco-trafficking, is currently in the custody of the Belize Defense Force. The Bell aircraft was found on Wednesday afternoon on a feeder road in the Blue Creek area, Orange Walk District. Just prior to the find, the Anti-Narcotics Unit received intelligence that the helicopter was circling in the San […]
But while Brigadier General David Jones would not go as far as to say that the helicopter is now the property of the Government of Belize, Minister of National Security, John Saldivar was not so bashful. Saldivar says that the confiscated Bell four-o-seven helicopter will be used along with two U-H-one-H helicopters from Taiwan to […]
Moving to another hot-button issue…In late July, the Guatemalan Foreign Minister, Carlos Raul Morales, said during a press conference that in the Confidence Building Measures, both Belize and Guatemala had agreed not to “increase the military bases in the vicinity of both countries.” Morales was answering a question in respect to Guatemala’s objection to the […]
According to Brigadier General Jones, the forward operating base on the mainland near the mouth of the Sarstoon River will be constructed. He says that the B.D.F. and the Coastguard have advised its ministry and government that the base is required to combat illegal drug activities in the area. Brig. Gen. David Jones, Commandant, […]
Since an armed standoff between the Belize National Coast Guard and the Guatemalan navy at the end of May, the Sarstoon Island has virtually been declared off-limits to civilians. In fact, the area is only traversed once a week by B.D.F. personnel on routine patrol of the region. So, when the Northern Territorial Volunteers, an […]
The Belize Territorial Volunteers, despite not having received government’s blessing, is proceeding with an expedition to Sarstoon Island. But it seems they will also be trekking to the controversial area without any protection from local law enforcement or military personnel. It is a decision that is being described as irresponsible, in light of the fact […]
In spite of Guatemala’s existing claim for ownership of Sarstoon Island, a routine B.D.F. patrol maintains military presence in the area. Commander Jones told News Five earlier today that the role of that detachment is to aid in efforts to mitigate illegal activities within the Sarstoon. Brig. Gen. David Jones, Commandant, B.D.F. “We don’t […]
The unwarranted mission to Sarstoon Island, in Jones’ opinion, can very well result in a split in the relationship that the B.D.F. and the Guatemalan army have forged. That liaison, from a military standpoint, is mutually beneficial. Brig. Gen. David Jones, Commandant, B.D.F. “North of the Sarstoon, in our mind, belongs to us. South […]
As the B.D.F. faces a number of challenges, it is also strengthening its numbers. Today, a new squad of officers joined its ranks following seventeen weeks of intense training ranging from jungle survival to conventional war tactics and leadership. Their mission is to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Belize. Duane Moody was there […]
According to Minister of National Security John Saldivar, government is also acquiring a loan of sixty million dollars to beef up the security of the country through national security programs. John Saldivar, Minister of National Security “Government has also committed US thirty million dollars for national security programs that will be done by way […]
Did the Foreign Minister of Guatemala Carlos Raul Morales misspeak at a press conference at the Radisson on Tuesday? In his presentation, Morales told the media that there was an agreement not to build any other military bases. That response came when the media asked him about the Guatemalan’s objection to the construction of a […]
The construction of a forward operating base on the mainland, at the mouth of the Sarstoon River, has been the latest issue on the discussion table between Belize and Guatemala. It follows a memo from Guatemala that it was not comfortable with the Belize government proposal to build the military base on an area, which […]
Almost a year after the shooting death of Tourism Police Officer Danny Conorquie at the Caracal Archaeological Site in Western Belize, a conservation post has been erected to thwart illicit activity in the area. For quite some time it is believed that Guatemalan bandidos have pillaged the ancient site, taking along with them precious artifacts […]
On Wednesday night, News Five was the first to report on a formal protest issued by Guatemala in relation to the planned construction of a Forward Operating Base at the mouth of Sarstoon River on the mainland. That protest comes in the wake of an altercation between Guatemalan military and Coast Guard personnel – in […]
Just before leaving for Washington and Mexico today, Elrington told News Five that Guatemala’s position on the Forward Operating Base was conveyed in a very civilized manner, through a diplomatic note from that country. Because that territory is indeed in dispute, the Foreign Minister says that going to the O.A.S. is the right thing to […]
There have been two notable incidents in very recent months – first the capture of thirty-seven Belizeans in Belizean territorial waters by Guatemalan military, and then the altercation between Guatemalan soldiers and Belize’s Coast Guard. In the first, the Belizeans were taken against their will to Livingston, Guatemala, while in the second Coast Guard personnel […]
