He came into Belize like a tourist, but today 50 year old U.S. resident Dean Fortune de Marks was expelled from the country like a terrorist. As has been reported and properly “railed up” about on the morning shows, De Marks was found with C-4 explosives in his Seine Bight home. He was charged with possession of explosive devices, and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition for a loaded handgun also stashed in the home. In his own country, that would get any Belizean sent down “Gitmo” way, but when De Marks appeared in Dangriga Magistrate’s Court a week ago, he was granted ten thousand dollar bail.
And that’s what caused the uproar. Now, moving quickly – it seems - to capitalize on popular sentiment, the Minister of Immigration Carlos Perdomo yesterday issued an expulsion order for De Marks. Things moved very swiftly after that; he was detained by Independence police last night, a BDF plane flew to Mango Creek to pick him up this morning; he was transferred to the Philip Goldson International, and sent packing on a flight to Houston by 10:30. At a police press conference today – Perdomo explained that expulsion was the quickest, simplest solution.
Carlos Perdomo, Minister of National Security
“We had taken him to the Magistrate Court the police had asked for him to be remanded, the Magistrate decided not to. So in the last few days we have organized ourselves to see what we could do. The deportation was the easy answer so yesterday I signed the deportation order. He was arrested last night, early morning and he flew out this morning.”
Jules Vasquez,
Have you all contacted US Homeland Security or anyone to tell them that a terrorist is coming or an explosive person?
ASP Alford Grinage, In Charge of Expulsion
“Well we have discussed it with the US Embassy and they have gotten in touch with their counterparts in Houston and they will be waiting for his arrival – US Marshals will be awaiting his arrival back in the US.”
Jules Vasquez,
Sir we saw him smiling, what was his demeanor like when you dealt with him?
ASP Alford Grinage,
“Well I can’t say he was smiling but I know he didn’t want to really leave the country but he had no other choice. He was considered a dangerous person to our country and based on that we did what we had to do.”
At the press conference, police also addressed the widely aired complaint that De Marks had threatened to use his explosives to blow up the village if neighbors kept testing him.
ASP Bart Jones, Head - Anti Drug Unit
“Despite what the numerous calls to the different talk shows of him threatening to blow up the village and that kind of thing, there is no official - up to yesterday - no official report by the police to substantiate that or anybody coming forward to say that he had made direct threats to me.”
De Marks is a New Jersey insurance agent who was planning to build condominiums in Belize. He was a visitor to Belize; he had neither nationality nor permanent residence.
