A Facebook news site recently posted a story claiming that as many as 70 drug planes landed in Belize between 2020 and 2021. The source cited is leaked emails from Mexico's defense ministry. As the report goes, the flights all departed from airstrips in Venezuela.
Today the Ministry of Home Affairs refuted that report with a release which says that date is not supported by the official verified data maintained by Belizean authorities.
It says, quote,
"According to the official record of illegal landings compiled between 2018 and 2025, the actual figures are as follows:
- In 2018, there were 12 landings recorded.
- In 2019, the figure dropped to 9 landings.
- In 2020, there were 10 landings.
- In 2021, there were 15 landings.
This confirms that only 25 illegal landings occurred during 2020-2021, far below the claim of 70 being circulated." end quote.
The release adds that since 2022, the number of illegal landings has shown a marked decline. and they claim that so far in 2025, only two incidents have been recorded.
Our sources suggest that a number of clandestine landings are not reported.
