A Belizean man caught in Costa Rica with 2,550 kilos of cocaine on April 20th of last year has been found guilty of drug trafficking in that country.
According to various newspaper reports from Costa Rica, Orange Walk resident, Harold Burns along with Colombians Wellington and Laureano Hooker, Gabriel Agresoth and Jorge Pacheco were traveling in a 35 foot skiff loaded with the drugs. They were detected by DEA agents in an area near Laguna Samay in the state of Limon in Costa Rica. As they traveled the skiff began experiencing mechanical problems forcing them to land the craft. Once landed they solicited the assistance of Nicaraguans Carlos Gonzalez and Mateo Suazo to fix the boat and bury the drugs. Sometime shortly after they men were surrounded by police and arrested and charged with drug trafficking.
They were sentenced on August 18th. The Colombians along with Burns were sentence to 15 years in prison while the Nicaraguans received 6 years each. According to the DEA, Burns was heading a drug ring between Cartagena, Colombia, Costa Rica and Belize. He is believed to have been using a fake us passport.
