Yesterday, Belize's name came up in a US news report which detailed the arrest of a Chinese businessman accused of being involved in an international money laundering and drug smuggling ring that has ties to the Sinaloa Cartel.
It's important because a background check of this businessman suggests that one of his associates is a US fugitive living in Belize. That associate, known as Jian Xing Chen, has also shown up on the radar of Belizean authorities in the past. It's alleged that he received Belizean nationality and Belizean passports without actually qualifying for them.
Tonight, we take a look at what is known about the only alleged associate of this money laundering ring who hasn't been arrested by American law enforcement so far. Daniel Ortiz has that story:
An American news outlet is reporting that US law enforcement managed to catch a Chinese businessman by the name of Tao Liu in a sting operation. He was buying fake US passports for $150 thousand dollars each, but the contact he thought was a corrupt official was actually an undercover DEA agent.
This businessman was allegedly part of an extensive network of Chinese nationals who allegedly operated a years' long conspiracy to use casinos, front companies, foreign and domestic bank accounts, and bulk cash smuggling to launder money on behalf of drug cartels.
But, there's another defendant being connected to this money laundering which has ties to Belize.
He's the 40-year-old Chinese businessman Jian Xing Chen, and he's being referred to as a fugitive who wanted on a US indictment for similar money laundering and drug trafficking offenses. Five of the six defendants are in custody, Jianxing Chen is a fugitive.
Here in this document, the statutory allegation is that Chen and others, quote, "did knowingly and intentionally combine conspire, confederate, and agree with others to knowingly and intentionally distribute five kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine " End Quote.
This other court document says that Chen and others are, quote, "joined to an organization of individuals in the United States, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, China and elsewhere, who conduct financial transactions with proceeds derived from the unlawful sale of controlled substance, including cocaine."
But, while he's considered a fugitive in the US, his name has shown up in Belize.
We found this public notice which said that he applied for a renewal of his publican special license to be operated at Route 88 Restaurant and Sports Bar, which is located on North Front Street in Belize City.
This other notice said that he applied for a shop license in 2017 to operate the NangKe Supermarket in Placencia Village.
His name also showed up in that well-known audit of the Immigration Department, which was conducted by Auditor General Dorothy Bradley. During the period of 2011 to 2013, the Auditor General found what appeared to be widespread corruption in that department, and Jian Xing Chen's Belizean documents were among those she questioned.
And from the report, it was concluded that quote, "Jian Xing Chen aka Jianxing Chen did not qualify for Belizean Nationality." End quote.
In her passport report, the Auditor General also noted, quote, "Ady Pacheco approved without biometric check, printed and QA passed Jian Xing Chen. He had a very unusual history on the BPIS of renewing four Passports before the normal time of which two were still at delivered status in the BPIS. He was first issued machine-readable Passport P000444 on 27th April 2005 which expired 26th April 2010 and had the irregular processing of the former Officer in Charge of Passport Section, Ady Pacheco, who approved, printed, and did the Quality Assurance on the Passport in addition to three misprinted errors. All Passports were received on the same day of application." End quote.
All clues that point to a long history of suspect behaviour - and now the US says Five of the six defendants are in custody, Jianxing Chen is a fugitive.
Chen is well known as a businessman in Belize who has resided in Dangriga. His associates tell us they haven't seen him around that much recently.
