The police department believes that the attack on Doris Grant and Austin Underwood is gang related. Underwood is the sibling of Alex Underwood, said to be a reputed gang leader in the Port Loyola neighborhood. When we caught up with Home Affairs Minister Kareem Musa this morning, he reiterated what investigators are saying.
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
“From the information that has been gathered and the investigation so far, that is not what the information is suggesting. It is considered to be at this very early stage, it is considered to be a separate issue.”
Gunfire erupted in Majestic Alley over the weekend and investigators are trying to determine whether the shooting victim was in fact a triggerman sent to carry out a hit on someone in the area. Alex Lino remains hospitalized tonight after being shot on Saturday. He told police that he was in the vicinity of the alley when someone opened fire and then he realized that he had been struck by a bullet. Residents contend that Lino was lurking in the neighborhood and when he reportedly fired at his target, someone also shot at him.
“Police responded to a shooting incident at Majestic Alley in Belize City. Upon their arrival they found one Alex Lino who had received a gunshot injury. Lino reported that he was at the alley on a motorcycle when he heard several gunshots. He then realized that he was shot and is presently at the KHMH in a stable condition. We have several persons in custody and the investigation continues.”
Isani Cayetano
“Are you guys able to determine whether or not he, Mr. Lino, was there to carry out a crime when he got targeted by residents?”
Hilberto Romero
“Yeah, we are following up on several reports that are being made. That is the information we have, that there were several gunshots that were heard in the area so we following up on those.”
Elsewhere in Belize City this weekend, another individual was the target of a drive-by shooting on King Street. Avery Usher was outside when a vehicle appeared on the scene and someone inside took aim at him. An officer who happened to be in the vicinity, returned fire at the fleeing vehicle.
“Police responded to a shooting incident at King Street in Belize City. Upon their arrival they found Avery Usher with a gunshot injury. Information is that Usher was standing on King Street when a vehicle pulled up and one of the occupants fired several shots towards his direction. A police officer who was in the area at the time then fired towards the vehicle which sped off. Usher is presently at the K.H.M.H. recovering and we have not detained anyone so far for this investigation.”
In Belmopan on Friday night, a security guard on duty at the Mall Gas Station was shot by a pair of armed thieves who made off with his weapon. Police say Ismael Miguel was rushed to the Western Regional Hospital where he remains in a stable condition.
“Police responded to a report of a shooting incident at the Mall Gas Station in Belmopan. Upon arrival they found Ismael Miguel with a gunshot injury. He was rushed to the hospital for treatment. Information received is that Miguel was working security duties at the gas station when two male persons on a motorcycle arrived at the area. He was held up and thereafter shot. Thereafter the male persons proceeded to steal the firearm from the security guard and some cash from two of the attendants who were at the gas station at the time. Investigation into this matter continues.”
Isani Cayetano
“What is the extent of the injury to the person who was [shot]?”
Hilberto Romero
“The victim is presently in a stable condition and is in recovery.”
Sixty-seven-year-old Griffith Cadle was stabbed to death by someone he was socializing with on Thursday night. The men were at a store on Saint Joseph Street near its intersection with Nurse Seay Street when his friend reportedly inflicted the fatal stab wound. Residents describe Cadle as easygoing and mild-mannered, but why would his friend who was recently released from the Belize Central Prison turn on him with deadly consequence? We turned to the Regional Commander of Eastern Division for an answer.
“On Thursday, June 13th, 2024, police responded to a stabbing incident on St. Joseph Street in Belize City. Upon their arrival, they saw the motionless body of Griffith Cadle sixty-seven years [old] with a stabbing injury. Information received is that Griffith Cadle was with another male person consuming alcoholic beverages at a store nearby and he was walking on the street when this person approached him and inflicted a stab wound injury to him. In regards to this investigation, we have one person in custody and the investigation continues at this time.”
Isani Cayetano:
“We understand that the suspect who is reportedly a friend of Mr. Cadle’s was recently released from the Belize Central Prison.”
Hilberto Romero
“That is correct. He was recently released from prison.”
Isani Cayetano
“Can you tell me what, if any, was the mental state of either of these two individuals?”
Hilberto Romero
“I cannot say. All I know is that they were hanging out at that area and all of that is being followed up as part of the investigation.”
A fatal road traffic accident in Stann Creek District on Saturday has claimed the life of Eduardo Palacios. The vehicle that he and three other passengers were traveling in collided into the back of a tractor, causing major damages to the Ford Escape. Despite being rushed for emergency medical treatment, Palacios perished from his injuries.
“Police responded to an area near Santa Cruz Village where there was a report of a fatal road traffic accident. Upon their arrival, they saw a tractor with damages, as well as a Ford Escape vehicle extensively damaged. Information is that the Ford Escape crashed into the back of the tractor. Four occupants were in the Ford Escape and they were all taken for treatment where Eduardo Palacios succumbed to his injuries. An investigation is being carried out into this report.”
Belize’s National Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Conference is back for its second year of activities. The annual conference aims to engage stakeholders from the public and private sectors in conversation with compliance officers and regulatory authorities to educate them on the threats posed by money laundering and engage in dialogue on how to collectively combat the funding of terrorism. News Five’s Britney Gordon attended the opening ceremony today to learn how this year’s activities will support financial integrity and economic growth. Here’s that report.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Belize is strengthening its endeavor to combat money laundering and threat of terrorism within the country by hosting the second annual Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Conference. Minister of Home Affairs, Kareem Musa told us how this year’s conference is working towards forging a more secure Belize.
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
“I think over the last decade the word de risking blacklisting, these are all words that have become very commonplace. We all understand what it means for financial systems, for banking sector. And so we have to ensure as best as possible that we do not make our way on any of these lists and we do not put ourselves in a position to get any derisking. And so that is the importance of these events to ensure that we continue on this right path passing legislation, implementing a lot of training for officers and the different agencies not only to investigate, but to successfully prosecute crimes such as the unexplained wealth orders, civil asset recovery, all of these things, again, geared towards ensuring that we stay on the correct path.”
Over one hundred and fifty participants will attend in person, and over four hundred will do so virtually. A range of topics will be covered, including tax evasion, corruption mitigation strategies, and money laundering indicators. Leni Ysaguirre McGann, Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit, says the participants will engage in break out sessions for more in-depth analysis.
Leni Ysaguirre McGann
Leni Ysaguirre McGann, Director, FIU
“So the conference, really as our theme suggests, is to talk about how we can collaborate together, to talk about how innovation impacts the work that we do, and to have open and frank discussions about that, and also to hear about some experts in their specific fields that concern, for example, cybercrime. So we’ll be talking about cyber threats, cyber security. And the idea is to raise awareness amongst our participants. We have specific breakout rooms for law enforcement. So we’ll be going over simulation activities. The first part of it is targeted for law enforcement. We’ll be running it again and opening it up to all private sector participants. The idea is to target the specific needs of law enforcement. We’ll be talking about cyber issues with them and as well as case studies on how to do certain investigative tactics and demonstrations. So we’re quite excited that we’re able to incorporate breakout sessions in this year’s conference and to target certain sectors and their specific needs.”
The conference serves as an opportunity for experts to speak to both the private sector and the public sector about the importance of combating financial crimes and build those skills so that we can do a better job of protecting both the United States and Belize. Heath Bailey, Chief of Economic Section in the U.S. Embassy told us how the embassy plans to assist Belize with this endeavor through collaboration with the National Anti-Money Laundering Council and the FIU.
Heath Bailey
Heath Bailey, Chief of Economic Sections, U.S. Embassy
“Money laundering is a technical crime. And so you have to develop the technical expertise to do that. One of the things that we do at the U.S. Embassy is we provide funding to build that capacity through training through capacity building. For example, we fund full time advisor who’s embedded with the financial intelligence unit to help them build their capacity to conduct these very complicated financial investigations.”
A week has passed since the Belize Police Department launched its investigation into an incident that occurred inside the San Ignacio Community Hospital involving so-called gang members. As we reported, alleged gang leader David Galindo was rushed to the hospital with gunshot injuries. It is said that several gang members intimidated healthcare providers and damaged hospital property, fearing that Galindo would lose his life. He died a week later, and all indications are that the Belize Police Department did not become aware of the events that transpired until days after the incident when it was reported in the news. Today, Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa was asked if there was a breakdown in communication somewhere. Here is how he responded.
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
“Like I mentioned previously I believe I met with the media Friday, Thursday or Friday. The only report that came to police was the issue of the damage to property. And so that matter was dealt with the individual was charged the following day. And I actually, I believe he pled guilty, the individual that damaged the glass. And he was fined fifteen hundred. And so that was the only report that came to the police department. And so I know that there is a lot of examination going on in terms of the timeline in which this information was provided. But let me say that it was not provided to the police. It was provided to a media outlet. And one would expect, moving forward, responsible media outlets would contact the police Before trying to claim credit to say we were the ones who got that information first. This is not a competition. The police is not competing with any of the media stations. And it is hoped that we are all in this fight against crime. That you would do the responsible thing. Ask the police for their side of the story. Did a report like this come to you? That was never done. Instead it was shared on a morning show I believe. That’s not the way that we are supposed to be working together. And so I want to ask the cooperation of media houses. We’re not trying to compete for any sort of glory. This is not about chess beating or ego building. This is about trying to fight and stop crime. And so my suggestion moving forward is that had the doctors gone to the police first, that then an investigation could have taken place. But the only thing that came to the police was a damaged property case.”
Police continue their search for Mynor Galindo, the brother of now deceased alleged gang leader David Galindo. But according to the Minister of Home Affairs, video footage from the San Ignacio Community Hospital has so far revealed that he was not at the hospital. This narrative lines up with the account he gave News Five when we spoke with him last week. Here is what Minister Musa told reporters today.
Reporter
“I know the police are looking for Minor Galindo. I understand he was the one who identified his brother’s body. Is there any reason he wasn’t picked up at that moment?”
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
“I am told from a review of the video footage, and I hope I’m not being premature here, but I am told that he was not identified at the hospital based on the review of the video footage, and so whether he took part in something thereafter, that again is under investigation but in relation to the incident the night of the hospital I’m I’m He was not there based on the review of the footage.”
Reporter
“How is the search for him going?”
Kareem Musa
“I’ll have to check with the Commissioner of Police on that.”
The Corozal Bay Constituency has yet to decide on a standard bearer, as the People’s United Party readies itself for the approaching general elections. Elvia Vega-Samos’ post is being contested now that Thea Garcia-Ramirez, daughter of the Prime Minister’s C.E.O., has announced her candidacy. Today, the minister of Home Affairs, Kareem Musa, weighed in on the situation.
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
“I think Honourable Elvia has done a wonderful job for the good people as a result being. And at the end of the day, I am sure that we will get excellent representation coming out of the debate.”
Reporter
“In the same way that mister Usher was spared a contest because mister Pollard wanted to run against him, should Elvia have been spared in the same way?”
Kareem Musa
“That is a matter for the National Campaign Committee. Unfortunately, I do not sit on that committee. I do not hear the deliberations of that committee. But I am told that they met sometime last week. And that decision was made.”
