Twenty-five bales of cocaine and nine men, most of whom are law enforcement officers, have been taken into police custody following an operation overnight in northern Belize District. Regional counterparts were tracking an aircraft which departed from South America sometime earlier, and when it entered Belize’s airspace, police and B.D.F. officers wasted no time springing […]
B.D.F. Commander Brigadier General Steven Ortega says the news of one of his very own soldiers detained following the drug plane interception is very distressing. This morning, Ortega confirmed that police arrested his driver in connection with the drug plane landing. As for the total prevention of drug plane landing, that might be impossible for […]
Minister of Defence and Border Security Florencio Marin Junior was asked for comment on this year’s first drug plane bust. The joint intelligence agency tracks several many drug planes daily, but this one was the first to intercept Belizean law enforcement. Minister Marin congratulated the officers for a job well done and says that the […]
Over a month after the Briceño administration imposed an indefinite quarantine regulation on the country, the much-anticipated loosening of restrictions came today. In a virtual press conference by the Ministries of Home Affairs and Health and Wellness, the new COVID regulations were unveiled. The first is an adjustment to the curfew. That was among the […]
Fitness buffs will be happy as the Minister of Home Affairs announced that they will now be allowed to open….but, with only fifty percent capacity and by appointment only. Additionally, gym owners must have a log of each customer, their contact number, and respective temperature reading upon entering the facility. Kareem Musa, Minister of […]
At the last sitting of the House of Representatives, legislation was amended to allow for the ticketing of violations under the Public Health Safety Act. Essentially, the five thousand dollars charge that was imposed on violators has now been reduced to five-hundred-dollar tickets for the improper wearing of face masks, breach of social distancing rules […]
Both ministers were sure to point out that the loosening of the restrictions is only possible due to the marked decreases in the country’s COVID figures. The numbers reflect that the virus’ positivity rate has decreased from over twenty percent around December seventeenth down to ten percent in the third week of January. While breaking […]
As we reported earlier, the drug plane interception and bust yielded twenty-five bales or seven hundred and fifty individual kilos of cocaine. The street value of the cocaine haul that was seized is still being calculated. While the men on board the vessel were found in possession of two bales, the remaining twenty-three were discovered […]
The involvement of police and military personnel in facilitating drug transshipment through Belize continues to be a significant concern for law enforcement. Over the past few weeks, several police officers have been arrested and charged for drug trafficking, namely marijuana. Still, it is not lost on ComPol Williams that there are rogue officers within his […]
Starting February first, the northern border with Mexico will, after almost ten months, reopen; but, only to allow for Mexican patrons to enter the Corozal Free Zone. Over a hundred thousand dollars has been invested in ensuring that there are temperature checks and screening done at the entrance of the zone in addition to other […]
But what about the concerns on whether or not the new COVID variants are in Belize? And is there a prepared plan should one be detected? As you know, three other strains of COVID-19 have been identified as more transmissible; the U.K. variant has been detected within the region, as close as Mexico. Belize has […]
Bars, casinos and nightclubs are still not allowed to open. You cannot have parties or organize gatherings at your house. But it would seem that the tourism sector’s concerns have been listened to; as starting next month, alcohol can now be purchased and served after six p.m. Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs “The […]
Today, the Supreme Court handed down a big win for two police officers with dreadlocks. The Court’s says the Belize Police Department’s disciplinary action on females in the force with dreadlocks infringes on their freedom of expression, among other rights. Supreme Court Justice Sonya Young handed down that decision today. You’ll recall that in May […]
So, as you heard, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the female cops on the force who were being disciplined about their dreadlocks. Attorney Leslie Mendez explained that while the decision found that the women’s rights were infringed, there was no decision made for the Police Department to amend that regulation on the books. […]
Two weeks ago, reports surfaced that a woman in the Honduran caravan had complained that a B.D.F. soldier sexually assaulted her at the Cadenas Outpost in southern Belize. The report suggests that the Belize Defence Force had launched an internal investigation into the conduct of one of the patrols. Commander, Brigadier General Steven Ortega told […]
In 2017, we reported on parts of the findings of the Auditor General’s Report on Belize Jungle Experience Limited owned by Lieutenant Colonel Charlton Roches of the B.D.F. The B.D.F. contracted Belize Jungle Experience Limited to conduct the training of the German military. Roches was paid a large sum of money for this training in […]
A man in Belmopan was stabbed during a robbery on Thursday night. Roger Russel was reportedly robbed of his knapsack and then stabbed multiple times. He was taken to the Western Regional Hospital where he underwent surgery and is currently in a stable condition. Today, his friend Area Representative of Belmopan Oscar Mira told us […]
A man was found dead in Belmopan on Thursday, and the family says that he was murdered. Eli Chan left home on Wednesday to go to a friend’s farm but never returned that evening. According to the family, Chan would always visit the farm with his friends, and he would sometimes engage in work to […]
Gender-based violence is a serious human rights violation with major social and developmental implications from an individual to a familial level that extends wider to the community and society. Domestic violence has psychological, behavioral, physical, and sometimes deadly consequences. It is a growing problem across the world, and when we look closer at home – […]
The municipal elections are thirty-three days away. Over the past few weeks, the major political parties have been releasing their official slates for the municipalities across the country. In San Pedro Town, both the U.D.P. and P.U.P. mayoral and councillor candidates have been working the streets to poll the residents about their concerns and share […]
Meanwhile in Belmopan, the People’s United Party will hold a convention on Sunday to choose its slate to contest the upcoming municipals elections. One hundred and eighty-three delegates will choose the party’s next slate. Six mayoral candidates want to represent the P.U.P. There are reports of in-fighting because some supporters believe that the P.U.P. Area […]
Minister of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Local Government and Labour, Oscar Requeña, Minister of State Ramiro Ramirez and C.E.O. Valentino Shal are on a tour of the nine towns cities ahead of the upcoming March third municipal elections. They are getting a firsthand view of various departments’ needs – from human resources issues to lack […]
Today, the Belize Defense Force held a ceremony at the Sir Colville Young Parade Square at Price Barracks in Ladyville to celebrate its forty-third anniversary. The B.D.F. was formed on the first of January 1978 when the Belize Volunteer Guards and the Police Special Force amalgamated. The parade is normally held the last Friday in […]
A business owner was shot and killed this morning in Dangriga. The carwash owner was at his property with a friend when the killer struck. He tried to get away, but he was shot twice. By the time police arrived at the scene, the businessman had been rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced […]
The Senate today ratified the United Nations Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards. It is also known as the New York Convention, which has been part of Belize’s law since 1980. But ratify now? According to the government, the formal ratification aims to facilitate the possibility of a debt-for-conservation-related transaction, which […]
