Armed confrontations along the Belize/Guatemalan border, involving the Belizean military and Guatemalans conducting illegal activities within our country, have been a perennial issue which some may say remain unresolved. And on Monday, a Guatemalan soldier was detained in Belize within the Chiquibul National Park. The soldier and three others were found approximately two hundred and […]
During the Budget Debate on Monday, Minister of National Security John Saldivar reported that B.D.F. personnel on Belize City streets will soon be pulled out. It’s a move that has become possible because violent crime has decreased significantly in the past year. Still, it is a cause for concern because city streets are volatile, and […]
Early this morning, members of several high-intensity, elite units of the Police, B.D.F. and Coast Guard descended on the island of San Pedro. It is part of an operation to restore order to the island in a hurry, with as much impact to the criminal element as possible. From what News Five has been able […]
The Embassy of the Republic of Venezuela held a press conference this morning to update the local media on the current state of affairs of that country, in the wake of an attempt by the opposition to ouster President Nicolas Maduro from political office. The effort to destabilize the government and cause social upheaval through […]
The government of Canada gifted Belize with an Integrated Ballistics Identification System back in October 2012. Known as IBIS, the system is a modern tool being used to investigate and solve gun crimes, but its success is yet to be determined. This morning, officers involved in investigating firearm crimes gathered at the Belize Biltmore Plaza […]
Ten minutes ago News Five received an update from Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl-Lynn Vidal via email. She confirmed that at five forty-three this evening investigators visited her office to finally present a file. Because of the late time we’ll bring you her written remarks verbatim. Vidal states, quote – “As you are all aware, […]
Superintendent of Police, Linden Flowers is the new commander of the Gang Suppression Unit. The news broke this past Tuesday that the career officer was bumped up the chain of command to replace Assistant Superintendent Marco Vidal as head of the GSU; Vidal retains Special Branch. Considered both affable and outspoken, the forty-seven year old […]
There are thirty officers in the Unit and Superintendent Flowers says that those who step out of bounds will be penalized; criminal elements will be dealt with and that the unit will continue to arrest criminal activity perpetuated by gangs around the country. Supt. Linden Flowers, Head, Gang Suppression Unit “Where a police officer […]
Corporal Rodriguez feels that the B.D.F. has let him down, and feels that he is being given the runaround. Today News Five was in Price Barracks, where we discovered that the force is trying to raise the funding to pay for Rodriguez’s surgical procedure and recovery, but the reality is that there is no money […]
Today, the top brass and rank and file of the Belize Police Department, along with family, friends and supporters joined to welcome the eighty-ninth recruit squad…the men and women who will now don the uniform to serve and protect in every corner of our nation. The graduation today was the culmination of three months of […]
While the police was spreading cheer today, the year 2013 is ending with a bang for the Belize Defense Force. According to the C.E.O. of National Security, there will be many changes and upgrades in 2014 for the force. One in particular was good news for the soldiers. Retired Colonel George Lovell used the event […]
The annual B.D.F. Christmas luncheon took place today at Price Barracks. Brigadier General David Jones was in high spirits; the force has had a good year having received a number of gifts to boost their work. The soldiers were also in a celebratory mood, a number of them were honored for service. Duane Moody was […]
Belize’s armed forces have been the recipients of very significant Christmas treats recently, courtesy of the US and Canadian governments. Coming on the heels of approximately five million dollars in military equipment, vessels and specialized gear donated in the past month, today the BDF and Coast Guard unwrapped a gift that will keep on giving […]
There is always a spike in amount of robberies during this time of the year. Throughout the city, particularly in downtown Albert and Regent Streets, thieves behave more brazen prompting the police since the fifteenth of November to put in place a Business Watch Program to deter criminal activity. To assist with this effort, Precinct […]
Two weeks ago the U.S. Government gifted the B.D.F. and Coast Guard with over one million dollars in specialized equipment, to be used primarily for capacity enhancement. That early Thanksgiving treat has now been joined by an early Christmas gift to the B.D.F. from the Canadian government. It’s a significant donation of boats and equipment […]
The equipment and gear will all be used specifically by the Belize Special Assignment Group in their operations in the country. BSAG is an elite unit of the B.D.F., tasked with undertaking high-risk operations which require specialized military skills and capabilities. Not much is known about the group, which is probably intentional, since it is […]
Today the Belize Coast Guard celebrated its eighth anniversary in grand style in San Pedro, inaugurating its forward operating base and also passing out thirty new recruits. The facility, which will be known as the Northern Forward Operating Base, features a fully equipped command center, accommodations for sixteen personnel, a fuelling station and a docking […]
Today, the Belize Defense Force and the Belize Coast Guard received a significant donation from the United States Government. The operational capabilities of both branches of Belize’s armed forces have been taxed, as the demand for the unique services they provide outstrip their resources. The U.S. Government, through its Southern Command, continues to provide essential […]
While the coastguard is under scrutiny for the shameful incident involving the detention of a boat carrying the Dominican Prime Minister, a team of eight operators attached to the Coastguard Seals graduated this morning. The ceremony was held at the coastguard headquarters at mile four on the George Price Highway. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports. […]
Given its geographic location, Belize has long been determined as a transit point for drugs coming from Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. It is estimated that the amount of cocaine passing through Belize is in the range of tens of tons per year. This week, HMS Lancaster, a British warship is in Belizean waters primarily to […]
The US Southern Command has been a very friendly partner in Belizean development – in areas ranging from medical care and infrastructure assistance to training and the donation of military expertise and equipment, very often on a large scale. Perhaps Southcom is best known by the general public for its New Horizons initiatives which have […]
Today the Belize Police Department proudly launched a historic documentary chronicling the success story of one of its greatest initiative. The Gang Resistance Education and Training program was first born in the US and reborn in Belize in 2008. It is a collaboration effort between the US Embassy, the Ministry of Education and the Belize […]
Today, the top brass of the Police Department gathered at the Queen Street compound for a historic donation, a first of its kind in Belize. Thanks to the government of Taiwan, the local police can now boast its first mobile command center, fully pimped out and ready to roll. The caravan is equipped to serve […]
Tonight, there is a new charge of brutality by the Gang Suppression Unit against two men, one not only ended up in the hospital, but also before the courts. Jermaine Ottley has a case pending for drug trafficking in the lower court, but before Ottley could make it to court today, he claims he was […]
Earlier this month, News Five reported on the presence of Mexican military planes in Belizean airspace. At the time there were persistent reports that on June thirtieth at least three planes with Mexican markings had flown as far down as Dangriga within Belizean territory. Lindsay Garbutt of the Department of Civil Aviation did not confirm […]
