In July, the National Basketball Team is heading to the Dominican Republic to take part in the Centro Basket Tournament. But they won’t be the first delegation to get there. A contingent of highly trained soldiers from the Jewel is taking part in a series of military exercises that test everything from shooting assault rifles […]
Tradewinds 2010, an annual military training exercise that sees the participation of a host of Caribbean and Central American countries, concluded in Belize today. Following an intense two-week series of activities, five hundred and fifteen soldiers from sixteen nations within the region today completed the course which focused primarily on the interactions of law enforcement […]
The police department uncovered fourteen parcels of suspected cocaine on Sunday on the island of Caye Caulker. The find is only a drop in the bucket when it comes to the amount of drugs that are shipped from South America on its way to the United States. The United States Southern Command Counter drug program […]
Patrolling the length and breadth of Belize’s maritime sovereignty is an arduous task that pits law enforcement officers against international criminals’ intent on using our waters as a conduit for illegal activity. Without a designated location to carry out naval operations, the Coast Guard was at a serious disadvantage. And what was once a distant […]
We checked in today on the second batch of B.D.F. soldiers who participated in Taekwondo training provided by the instructors from the Taiwanese army. Also participating, were a handful of police officers. The course started around mid January and just concluded today and you’ll be surprised at the skills acquired in such a short time. […]
The vast expanse of the Caribbean Sea and Belize’s geographic location within the region has long made it an ideal watercourse for the transshipment of narcotics from South to North America. Along with the illegal trade comes the issue of crime and violence and while that may be the residual effect on land, law enforcement […]
The Foreign Minister’s artificial border comment made to an OAS reporter in December will not be forgotten soon in particular since the borders remain porous. Still, a handful of B.D.F. soldiers are no match for the Guatemalan armed forces while they patrol the southern border. During his press conference on Wednesday, the Prime Minister reflected […]
The B.D.F. soldiers turned out in numbers today to mark the force’s birthday. Now in its thirty-second year, the force has grown in numbers and skills and while it still maintains its objective, its responsibilities and visibility have increased. The anniversary celebrations kicked off today at the Price Barracks. News Five’s Duane Moody shared in […]
The Belize Defense Force is trained to defend the country and to assist in the maintenance of order, but through the Embassy of Taiwan, some soldiers got training in combat skills to defend themselves. Twenty-nine survived the rigorous taekwondo training at Price Barracks. Delahnie Bain was on hand for the closing of the course. Delahnie […]
Earlier this week, the Belize Defense Force held its annual Christmas lunch. That tradition is also practiced by the Belize National Coast Guard. The men were treated to a sumptuous lunch and aside from celebrating the spirit of the season, outstanding officers were recognized for excelling in various disciplines. News Five’s Duane Moody joined in […]
The Belize Defense Force was in a celebratory mood today; the occasion was the traditional Christmas lunch at which the soldiers are served by their superiors to show appreciation for a job well done. The troops were joined by other officers also dedicated to service. News Five’s Duane Moody headed to Price Barracks for the […]
The Belize National Coastguard’s second passing out ceremony for recruits took place today for thirty-five new officers. The proud men and women will now begin their duties in manning our territorial waters and will assist in the prevention of transnational crimes. The ceremony held at its temporary headquarters, Williamson Complex in Ladyville, coincided with the […]
The Belize Defence Force welcomed sixty-two new members this morning at a ceremony marking the culmination of its fifty-second intake. This year’s recruits underwent intense training to become disciplined, physically and mentally fit soldiers. And after they were inspected by the Minister of National Security, the recruits displayed some of what they learned from the […]
Earlier today, thirty soldiers of the Light Engineering Company of the B.D.F., were recognized for completing a skills training program. The thirty now head back to camp to ply their newly acquired techniques. Duane Moody attended the graduation ceremony and has this report. The soon to be completed ITVET on Freetown Road, was the venue […]
In Belize, there is a popular saying that reads: “A good friend is better than pocket money” and a multimillion dollar donation to the Belize Defense Force by the U.S. Government lends credence to that statement. Today at Price Barracks in Ladyville, officials from the U.S. Southern Command handed over the hefty package to their […]
A single mother and her eight children are tonight homeless after an early morning blaze. And by the time the inferno ended, all that was left was dust. Sometime around four a.m., forty-three year old domestic of Hattieville, Bridget Wade, and her eight kids between the ages of one and thirteen were inside their elevated […]
As of today, Commander Johnnie Borland is now Captain Borland and commandant of the Belize National Coast Guard. At a ceremony held at the Williamson Complex in Ladyville, Rear Admiral and outgoing commandant, Cedric Borland officially handed over the responsibilities and duties of the guard to his successor. The keynote address was delivered by Minister […]
The B.D.F. has had a good day, both to its inventory of equipment and to its human resources. Despite the downpour this morning, a ceremony was held at Price Barracks where the B.D.F. received over a million dollars in equipment and scholarships for three soldiers worth more than half a million dollars. The three cadets […]
Representatives from the U.S. Air Force are on their second visit to Belize. And this time around, the U.S. Operation Southern Partners is sharing tips on various procedures in aircraft maintenance, anti-terrorism, land and air navigation, fire-fighting and search and rescue missions. And today, O.S.P.—along with the Belize Defence Force and National Coast Guard—took to […]
Crime has been consistently on the rise and the number of murders, robberies and sexual crimes have reached record highs. Today outgoing Commissioner of Police, Gerald Westby, passed the baton to the new top cop whose job is to keep the criminals in check. Crispin Jeffries has been in the media on several occasions for […]
The announced shake up within the ranks of the Police Department is about to come on stream. Next Monday, a press briefing will be held at the Raccoon Street Police Station in Belize City where the Minister of National Security, Carlos Perdomo, will officially present Assistant Commissioner of Police Crispin Jeffries with the baton as […]
Just back from Port of Spain, Prime Minister Dean Barrow held his quarterly press conference at the House of Culture this afternoon. But while his remarks were focused on the Summit of the Americas, the big news coming out of the conference is the confirmation of the reported shake-up at the police department. The P.M. […]
There are reports to News Five of major changes in the Belize Police Department to take place in the next few days. While it is not confirmed, it is reported that as early as next week Police Commissioner Gerald Westby will proceed on retirement. The reports also say that the new man tagged to take […]
Graduation season is a couple of months away for schools but some twenty-five officers of the Belize Defence Force of the Light Engineer Company had an early start. The officers received certificates after completing a three month course at ITVET which is part of a multi-million dollar venture funded by the United States Military Liaison […]
And in the north, a driver was robbed of ten thousand dollars when he had concluded deliveries in the city. The incident happened last Thursday at about seven fifty p.m. when twenty five year old Calbert Castillo, a driver for Amelio Ahmad and Son Company Limited on fifth Avenue, Corozal Town parked his truck inside […]
