The name Edward Martinez may ring a bell. He is a former self-admitted contrabandista and also the brother of a government minister. Martinez has been posting critical information on Facebook in respect of drug plane landings in Belize. Though police have not always been successful in apprehensions, Martinez has been on the bottom with some […]
Incarcerated Mexican drug trafficker Vicente Zambada dropped a bombshell in a U.S. Supreme Court last Thursday when he testified against Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman. Under oath, Zambada touched on El Chapo’s expansive drug operations in Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. The C.E.O. in the Ministry of National Security says that Zambada has been locked up overseas […]
Within minutes of a press conference hosted by Chester Williams, a brief release was issued confirming that Williams is moving up as Commissioner of Police beginning this Wednesday. Allen Whylie is vacating the post to proceed on retirement after almost six years as ComPol. Williams is a career police officer and an attorney. He has […]
With today’s revelation, though largely unsubstantiated, the incoming top cop will have to address the issue of his officers being involved in drug trafficking. With Edward Vincent Martinez coming forward to expose the department of corruption and complicity at this critical juncture, will he be prepared to work with ComPol Williams in providing useful information? […]
On Monday, the Police Department said that two cops who brutalized two brothers from San Pedro and caught on widely circulated videos, will not face criminal charges. Less than twenty-four hours later, however, incoming ComPol, Chester Williams, announced a change. Police Constables Tyrell Rowley and Samir Medina will be taken to court now that the […]
But while PCs Tyrell Rowley and Samir Medina are expected to be charged criminally with wounding and harm, incoming Commissioner Chester Williams also spoke on the scope of the internal investigation by the Professional Standards Branch. Both constables have been charged disciplinarily for Prejudicial to the Good Order and Discipline of Police Officers. But what […]
On the issue of police misconduct, Williams also gave an update on the case of three officers, namely: Corporal Clinton Thomas and Police Constables Kishane Peck and Albert Augustine. All three officers, who were attached to the Special Branch Unit of the Department, were on interdiction pending the outcome of an internal investigation by the […]
Prime Minister Dean Barrow has called a press conference for Wednesday morning. It is known that the purpose is to reveal a declaration signed by former foreign ministers, including from the P.U.P., who support taking the territorial dispute to the I.C.J. Now, the ex-ministers known to support going to the I.C.J. are Lisa Shoman, Godfrey Smith, […]
The Elections and Boundaries Department says they are getting ready for the April tenth referendum. Chief Elections Officer Josephine Tamai says that the registration cut-off date for persons who want to vote in the I.C.J. Referendum is March tenth. Tamai says that they are buying the equipment needed and are also ironing out the logistics […]
Thirty-nine-year-old Garry Yearwood is out on bail of ten thousand dollars after having been remanded on January fourth for aggravated assault. This morning, the B.T.L. employee appeared before Justice Collin Williams where he applied for bail. He is accused of brandishing a licensed firearm and making threats to his former common-law wife, thirty-one-year-old Royann Riverol. […]
According to the career lawman, Riverol could not have been in fear of her life if she tailed her former common-law husband from Belize City to Los Lagos and then struck him repeatedly. Insp. Fitzroy Yearwood, Brother of Garry Yearwood “If you are in fear of your life would you drive fourteen miles behind […]
Also from the courts…Anthony Bennett-Velasquez will have to stand trial for murder of Erbin Garrido, which occurred in May 2018. The thirty-eight-year-old Belize City resident is accused of killing Garrido inside his home and on Friday, during a preliminary inquiry before Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford, Bennett was committed to stand trial. Bennett-Velasquez appeared unrepresented and […]
A twenty-six-year-old waitress from San Pedro claims she was raped over the weekend on the island. The woman was in front of the San Pedro Poly Clinic, when she was forced inside a tunnel by a man who twice raped her. A medical examination has revealed she was carnally known. One person has been detained.
Two family members from Corozal have been charged with drug trafficking following a search at their home in the Altamira area. Thirty-six-year-old Michael Nugent Senior and his son, eighteen-year-old Michael Junior, were at the house during a search for firearms. Police did not find firearms, but inside a bedroom, they found about two point two […]
The Belize City Council today displayed twenty-four new motor vehicles which were purchased as part of the council’s plan to address congested traffic flows, citizen security in the city and enhance the council’s productivity in several departments. The council entered into a payment agreement with Caribbean Motors for twelve motorcycles at an estimated cost of […]
After the ceremony, Mayor Bernard Wagner fielded questions from the media and one of the topics was the location of Pier One Bar. The infamous establishment received negative reviews after an all-out brawl broke out weeks before someone was shot and killed there. The primary concern is that the bar is located at B.T.L. Park, […]
Mayor Bernard Wagner was also asked about the state of Holy Emmanuel Street in the Gungulung area. After Mayor Wagner and his team took over management of the city, it was promised that Holy Emmanuel Street will be rehabilitated. Works have yet to commence because, according to the Mayor, it’s a long term project which […]
In an interview with the press today, Chief Elections Officer Josephine Tamai gave an update on the status of the re-registration. Last year, a three-month mass re-registration exercise ran through the summer and concluded in September. The Elections and Boundaries Department started the continuous registration process in December for which applications are still being accepted. […]
And what about ID cards for those who have registered months ago? Well, the Elections and Boundaries Department says they are a little behind with the distribution since they haven’t been print. Josephine Tamai says that they hope to have most of the identification cards ready in a few weeks and they will be informing […]
Since the end of last week, we’ve been reporting on growing tensions in the Maya Mopan Village. Parents and the Alcalde in the village say there has been a number of unresolved issues at the government school. Since Monday of this week, they have decided to keep their children at home and so only a […]
