And at that press conference today, the commanders of the BDF and Coast Guard sat beside the Commissioner of Police to explain the rare coordination that produced this bust. Jaleeza Roberts has a recap:
A joint law enforcement operation in the Neuland area of the Corozal District on Friday evening resulted in a major cocaine bust of about half a ton, as well as the Cessna 206 plane and pilots that brought it.
Police say the track came along the Pacific coast of Central America:
Dr. Richard Rosado, COMPOL
"The operation began approximately 10.36 a.m. when the United States Interagency Task Force South detected an unidentified aircraft over the Pacific Ocean southwest of San Jose, Costa Rica."
"Four minutes later, the aircraft was declared an air track of interest. At 10.45 a.m., the Belize Joint Operations Center commenced active monitoring and law enforcement officers and the other security services personnel were deployed across the country at identify area of interest to monitor the activities in those areas."
"This decision proved critical for us and effective since at approximately 1.50 p.m., a custom enforcement team operating in Neuland Village, Corozal District, encounter a SUV parked near the coastline. The vehicle was occupied by two Belizean national and one Mexican national."
"And inside the vehicle, officers discovered nine canisters of suspected aviation fuel, a firearm and a satellite phone. These were clear indicators that the Neuland village was the intended landing site of the aircraft."
"Over the next few hours, the aircraft moved northwards, changing direction multiple times towards El Salvador, then Nicaragua, and then Honduras. By 2.40 p.m., the aircraft was estimated to be just over one hour from entering Belize airspace."
"By this time, the operational focus had already been mobilized and strategically deployed in Neuland. At 5.03 p.m. Airspace clearance was granted and the Belize Defense Force deployed their air asset."
"At 5.10 p.m., the Mexican air asset were also granted permission to enter Belize airspace to support our operation. At 5.21 p.m., Belize primary radar confirmed contact with the suspected aircraft approximately six nautical miles east of Carmelita Village, heading northeast."
"At 6.14 p.m., the aircraft landed in Neuland Village, observed deplaning, where two Hispanic male persons later identified as Paul Valenzuela Usana and Edgar Aguilar Trinidad, both Mexican national."
"A search of the aircraft revealed multiple bales of suspected cocaine wrapped in plastic. Also intercepted at the landing site was a Chevrolet suburban SUV occupied by two Belizean national. That vehicle has since been impounded as the investigation continues."
Authorities were able to recover 535 parcels of suspected cocaine with an estimated street value of 11 million 27 thousand 800 Belize dollars.
It's a law enforcement tour de force, but was it largely good fortune? Earlier that day, Customs enforcement stumbled upon a stash of aviation fuel in an SUV, a gun, and a satellite phone - somehow the vehicle was later found burnt. The Commissioner of police said that law enforcement were not the ones who burnt the vehicle - but he was still vague:
Dr. Richard Rosado, COMPOL
"I want to add, as it relates to the narrative, that it was law enforcement that burnt the SUV that contained the suspected aviation. That is not so. As I have indicated, it was custom enforcement team that made the interception and given the circumstances that was at hand at the time, which I will not get into the specifics, it was prudent for the customs officers to withdraw."
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
"The important thing is that the vehicle was processed in terms of the fact that scenes of crime technicians would have processed it and retrieved items of evidential value. Photographs were taken and photo processing will be conducted."
"Indeed, it would have been ideal to have all of those items, but we are of the view that notwithstanding that the items in terms of the aviation fluid sorry was destroyed, it will not detract from us being able to put forward some evidential material in the intended prosecution."
"Commissioner indicated that the burning did not occur by law enforcement officials, Mr. Lopez. The situation at hand, which we will not get into the specifics of, it was prudent for those, the team of custom officers, to withdraw."
"It was when they withdrew that we supposed the burning was conducted. However, as I stated, notwithstanding this, we have ensured that we have retrieved items of evidential value that will be of assistance to the intended prosecution of the matter."
Dr. Richard Rosado, COMPOL
"Indeed, the custom officers were the first one when the vehicle was discovered. Certain things happened on the ground that required them to retreat. They then retreat and we sent additional support from the security forces."
"When they returned, the vehicle was on fire."
The BDF commander discussed the circumstances of the landing:
General Anthony Velasquez, Brigadier General
"Yes, there is still extra fuel within the aircraft as of the point where we examined it."
"So the aircraft still had enough fuel to probably fly somewhere else if it chose to when it landed. It wasn't a matter, it wasn't a case where it had to, there was a forced emergency landing at all."
Rear Admiral Gregory Soberanis, BCG Commandant
"As you're aware, this was a multi-domain approach to this intercept, both as relates to land, air and sea."
"As the Coast Guard, we provided the maritime component to this operation. As the Commissioner alluded to, this is an area that is in close proximity to our coastline. It's an area that we are familiar with."
"And so we were able to respond quickly when called upon for support by the police department. So as the Coast Guard, we provided that maritime component, that waterborne component to this operation to ensure that if there were any movements by sea or any movements through the maritime space, we would have been positioned and postured to do an intercept by sea."
"So the interagency collaboration really demonstrated that it is a mechanism that works. There was the communication between the Coast Guard, the Belize Defense Force, and the Police Department was one where in the end we were able to make that intercept."
For now both Mexican pilots Edgar Augiuilar and Paul Valenzuela have been charged and have been remanded to the Belize Central Prison. Jaleeza Roberts, 7 news.
