For the second time in as many weeks a joint BDF and police patrol has nabbed a group of Guatemalan Xateros.
On Sunday a patrol on duty in the Caracol national reserve area came upon 7 Guatemalan men on horseback all with sacks of ate leaves. They were taken in to San Ignacio police to be charged for unlawful possession of forest produce.
But before those charges were laid, the OAS office at the Western Border called to intercede for three of the accused, teenaged boys ranging in age from 14 to 16. These three young men will now be transferred by the OAS to their parents in Peten. But, the men they were with are going in the other direction; they're heading to the Hattieville Prison. In San Ignacio Magistrate's Court today, 28 year old, Alfredo Garcia. 52 year old Eulogio Garcia, 30 year old Ronnie Martinez and 22 year old Marcos Garcia were convicted of the unlawful harvesting of a total of 8 bundles of Xate leaves. They were fined $1,000 or in default confined to 6 months on jail. They were unable to pay the fines so the confinement begins tomorrow when they are transferred to the Hattieville Prison.