Tonight there is no new information in the unprecedented theft of a Maya Island Air plane from the Placencia airport.
As we told you the two South American men on board died when the plane crashed and burst into flames - so post mortem examinations are being conducted on them.
And while their identities will produce some clues - we're told one of them is ex Venezuelan military - police and the Belizean security apparatus have a much bigger problem: they have to figure out if this is a new MO for narcos in Belize: to jack airplanes for trafficking.
Jules Vasquez looked at the possibilities:
Dean Cabral, Resident
"What I heard, about around 4 something, we heard this great bang, boom! But there was this big flame up into the air, this great flame and smoke was popping and everything and that was all we know."
Those with knowledge of weapons say those sharp explosive bangs could be the sound of heavy calibre live rifle rounds which may have been on board the plane. Typically, those would explode like firecrackers as the fire consumed them - the larger the caliber of the round, the louder the explosion - and these ones were loud.
It could suggest that the suspected narcos had high powered weapons on board, and we also have reports that they were carrying extra fuel.
But, how big was this operation? Reports from residents suggest that the plane jackers approached the airstrip through the sea which borders the airstrip - but experts point out that if they were carrying aviation fuel - that would most likely have had to come in by road.
They had their choice of airplanes - Maya Island uses Placencia as one of its hubs and parks a number of planes there nightly.
Interestingly, these presumed narcos chose - what we are told - is the fleet's newest airplane valued at 2.1million US dollars - reduced now to a blackened hunk of burnt iron.
Calbert Gardiner, Resident
"I knew it was a plane from the get go because I heard it when it took off. I heard it when it took off and I saw when it went down, I'd say about 8 to 10 seconds after it took off, I tell my wife, it went down. So I knew it was a plane."
It crashed on the edge of the road - after snagging an electrical line and snapping the top off a lamppost, and plunged into a swamp - where a crane had to be brought in to trawl for parts.
This is the cargo pod. Being retrieved from the swamp.
We saw a number of pieces of evidence being retrieved and of course two bodies being moved- reportedly a Venezuelan pilot and an Argentinian co-pilot. Investigators scoured the scene for evidence:
Nigel Carter, Director, Civil Aviation
"Basically we work with the identification of the aircraft, if there's any information that is onboard that may be onboard equipment that we can retrieve, then we'll be able to retrieve some of that information and assist them with that."
Indeed it is a case of theft and a likely narco operation - but it is still a matter for civil aviation which now faces the burning question - is this a frightening new MO - for narcos to steal planes for trafficking purposes?
This 2021 article pointed to the problem in South America - and plane theft is well documented in Mexico.
So is it now a new MO for Belize?
For years, we Have seen flights coming from South America - mainly Venezuela into Belize and our neighbors - but this is the first time a plane has been stolen in Belize. And at small airports throughout the country, aviation assets are exposed.
That's what surely going to cause Maya boss Eugene Zabaneh many sleepless nights - we saw him on the scene visiting the site of the wreckage and shuttling back and forth - looking for answers like everyone else.
We could not reach Mr Zabaneh for a comment.
No one has been detained - though the two men on board are strongly believed to have had local counterparts handling their. logistics.
We note also that Commissioner Chester Williams is out of the country on official business. He flew out on Saturday and returns tomorrow.
