During the United Democratic Party (UDP) press conference on Tuesday at its headquarters, former Minister of National Security, Mike Peyrefitte, criticised Commissioner of Police Chester Williams and Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa over alleged underreporting of homicide statistics.
Peyrefitte accused them of misleading the public by claiming 89 murders for 2024, while his research shows there were actually 97, not including 10 additional deaths that were “suspiciously classified as mere death investigations.” According to him, this discrepancy “is not just a minor clerical error.”
When asked about it earlier today, Minister Musa accused Peyrefitte and Opposition Leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow of being overly focused on the death toll. Musa said, “I get the feeling like they are the grim reapers of governance and politics. I have never seen two people, well, three, pray out the lives of Belizean people more than these people.”
Meanwhile, ComPol Williams addressed concerns about discrepancies in reported figures, confirming that his department’s count stands at 91, but that this includes an unresolved case in San Pedro and a manslaughter incident, which cannot be categorised as murder. Williams added that even a projected 24 homicides per 100,000 “it is still far better than what existed during the UDP’s twelve years in office,” he said.
The Milwaukee County Zoo has announced the arrival of Filly, a jaguar transferred from the Belize Zoo. Filly arrived on January 23 after travelling from Belize via Miami and ground transport to Milwaukee.
Rescued under the Human Jaguar Conflict Program, Filly was brought to the Belize Zoo in 2019 after being identified as a conflict jaguar preying on livestock due to age and health-related difficulties. The Belize Zoo, in collaboration with the Belize Forest Department, has been rescuing such jaguars since 2003.
Milwaukee County Zoo was chosen for Filly’s new home due to its long-standing conservation partnership with the Belize Zoo, which dates back to the 1980s. The zoo’s male jaguar, Frankie, is the son of another conflict jaguar, Pat, who was also transferred from Belize. The process to bring Filly to Milwaukee took 4.5 years of careful preparation.
This partnership supports conservation efforts in Belize through programs like the Pat Gives Back initiative, which focuses on conservation, research, and community support.
“Bringing Filly to Milwaukee is an exciting step in our continued support for the conservation work of the Belize Zoo,” said Amos Morris, Executive Director of the Milwaukee County Zoo. “We’re also focused on the welfare of our male jaguar, Frankie.”
Filly, deemed non-releasable, will contribute to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Jaguar Species Survival Plan, helping to enhance the genetic diversity of jaguars in North America. After a quarantine period, Filly will be introduced to her new habitat and visitors at the zoo.
A chemical pollutants workshop was held earlier today in San Ignacio, where experts gathered to develop a national strategy for managing hazardous substances. Consultant Stephen Sangster said that the session he’s leading today is focused on assisting Belize in implementing and reporting on global chemical agreements.
Sangster explained the importance of the initiative, saying, “This project that I’m working on as a consultant is to develop a national strategy for Belize and how to implement and report to this chemical multilateral agreement and also to the global framework on chemicals.”
He added that the project will concentrate on four key multilateral agreements relevant to Belize’s chemical management.The session is expected to provide crucial guidance for the country’s efforts in addressing chemical pollutants, ensuring compliance with global standards, and enhancing sustainable development practices.
The Professional Standards Branch (PSB) is currently leading the investigation.
Williams explained that Rivers had assaulted Inspector Rosado with a butcher knife, nearly killing him, before being arrested. After being detained, Rivers escaped from the police station and led authorities on a pursuit.
A standoff ensued, during which he brandished a machete, prompting police to fire several warning shots. When he failed to surrender, police eventually shot him in the stomach. Williams suggested there were details the public may not be aware of, which would be clarified with the release of the footage.
Williams was asked about Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Hilberto Romero’s statements on Monday, where he said that Rivers was shot in the leg. However, that is not true. Rivers was shot in the abdomen. “Perhaps Mister Romero was misinformed because from the inception, when the thing happened, I know it was in the stomach,” Williams explained.
He said that Romero might have relied on information from others. Williams said he hopes that there is no deliberate attempt to lie to the public. “I hope I’m right, but I believe that Mr. Romero was misinformed. I did not speak to Romero before he had that press brief. I don’t know what information he got, but from the incident that happened, I was briefed by the Southern Regional Commander, and he briefed me that a young man was shot in his stomach.”
Concerns about potential misrepresentation in the internal police report were also brought up. “Perhaps that’s a briefing that he might have gotten from I don’t know who. But if that is exactly what he said, I apologise to the public because that is not what happened.”
The issue of whether high-ranking police officers should own private businesses has sparked a heated debate, raising concerns about ethics, conflicts of interest, and public trust. Supporters argue that officers, like other professionals, are entitled to financial security, particularly in low-paying areas. However, critics warn that such business ventures could lead to corruption or favouritism, potentially undermining law enforcement integrity.
Police Minister Kareem Musa weighed in on the controversy, stating that ownership of private businesses by police officers is not an issue unless it impacts their professional duties. He told reporters today, “Commissioner of Police, deputies, assistants, and even low-level police constables have private businesses. We’re not going to go down a road of restricting police officers from having a business.”
Musa added that businesses must be legitimate and maintain a reputable standard. “If they’re swindling people, I firmly agree with you that they should not have a business of that nature and remain police officers,” he said.
Musa also clarified that the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), which monitors suspicious financial activities, operates independently from the police force, stating that “the FIU does not answer to the police.”
Who does Police Commissioner Chester Williams answer to? Is it Prime Minister John Briceño or the Minister of Home Affairs, Kareem Musa? That’s what reporters asked Musa this morning in Belmopan. Musa told the media that the Commissioner of Police operates as an autonomous authority, similar to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
“But my point is that you make it seem as though whenever the commissioner speaks or whenever he makes a decision, he has to call myself or the prime minister, which he does not,” Musa told the press.
He stressed the importance of maintaining a clear distinction between political influence and the commissioner’s independent role. He acknowledged that the prime minister ultimately has the power to appoint or remove the commissioner but rejected the notion that the commissioner exclusively answers to any individual within the government. “At the end of the day, we work well, both myself and the commissioner and the prime minister and the commissioner. And so to say he’s answerable to any of us, I think that’s poorly phrased,” Musa said.
Under U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is focusing heavily on illegal immigration. A week after taking office, ICE agents began targeting undocumented people and those with serious criminal backgrounds, such as those wanted for homicide or convicted of armed robbery.
Matt Elliston, director of ICE’s Baltimore field office, stated, “The worst go first.”
One major change under Trump was the return of “collateral arrests.” This policy allowed ICE to detain individuals they came across during enforcement operations, even if those individuals weren’t the original targets. This policy reverses guidelines from the Biden administration—such “collateral arrests” were banned under Joe Biden.
As of November 24, 2024, ICE listed 1,445,549 noncitizens with final orders of removal. These individuals have been ordered to leave the U.S. but are not currently in detention.
The data also shows how many people from each country are on this list. According to that breakdown, there are 899 Belizeans with final orders of removal. However, the data doesn’t say why these individuals were ordered to leave.
So are all 899 Belizeans listed in ICE’s list truly criminals? Well, not exactly. According to ICE, receiving a final order of removal means that those individuals don’t have legal permission to stay in the U.S. This could be due to violating immigration laws, having their legal status expire, or even having a criminal conviction, among other reasons.
Earlier this month, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams said that Belize would monitor the return of deported individuals, particularly those wanted by local authorities to face charges. “In terms of the people that will be sent back to Belize… we will wait to see who will be coming back. We certainly are looking forward to certain people coming back that are wanted by the police to face charges here in Belize. So, we welcome them,” Williams said.
The United Democratic Party (UDP), led by Moses “Shyne” Barrow, held a press conference on Tuesday and laid out several of their criticisms of the Briceño administration ahead of the 2025 general election.
Barrow, along with his executive, also outlined their vision and policies if elected. “The people are yearning for the practical, common-sense policies implemented by the UDP that saw our economy grow by 4.5% in successive years,” Barrow stated. He said that Belize’s previous governance with Dean Barrow’s administration, the UDP brought about a record of keeping inflation low, even dipping to as little as 0.5%. “You didn’t have Smiling Meats and Hofius and Santiago and all of these people going out of business during the Barrow administration. We made sure the guardrails were there for the vulnerable, the people in need,” he said.
“It is not that Belizeans want a handout. Belizeans want and need a government that will do their sworn oath of office,” he added.
Barrow made it clear that as the 2025 elections approach, he and his team are positioning themselves as the alternative to the current leadership.
The shooting of 24-year-old Emil Rivers by police on Friday in Independence Village has brought up a major controversy. Rivas was reportedly arrested for alleged aggravated assault with a knife and was shot by PC Sheldon Arzu.
The family alleges that Emil, who is on medication for a mental health condition, was brutalised by police by severely beating him before being shot in the stomach and leg.
In Monday’s police briefing, Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero offered a different narrative, stating that Rivas attempted to escape from custody twice. “He jumped out of the back of a police vehicle and sustained some injuries. He was immediately apprehended and taken to the cell where he was detained,” Romero said. According to Romero, while Emil’s cell was being cleaned on Saturday, he escaped again and ran to a nearby house, where he allegedly armed himself with a machete. Police cornered him, and after attempts to disarm him failed, a warning shot was fired.
“At some point, then the police officer shot him in the leg. He’s presently admitted in a stable condition,” Romero said on Monday.
However, after Romero provided the police’s side of the incident, Rivas’s mother, Marlene Rivas, shared on Facebook on Monday, “Police and news can lie.” She said that her son was not shot in the leg; he was shot in the abdomen.
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams also confirmed that he was shot in the abdomen. This morning, Williams shared a video of the shooting incident.
This is not the first time that PC Arzu has been involved with the law. Back in 2005, Arzu was sentenced to 13 years in prison for the manslaughter of Reuben “Pony” Alarcon, who was shot and killed inside a police station in 2003. Arzu’s sentence followed a two-year fight for justice by Alarcon’s family.
According to the police department’s recruitment requirements, “Individuals who have previously served in the department and who voluntarily resigned may be considered for re-enlistment.” As part of the requirement, it also says that ““persons with previous convictions are not normally accepted unless the offences are of a minor nature.”
The question remains: was the manslaughter of Reuben “Pony” Alarcon and a sentence of 13 years an ‘offence of a minor nature’?
Tonight, a family in Dangriga is grappling with the aftermath of a devastating house fire that tragically claimed the life of their beloved Sonia Sambula. Just before midnight on Monday, flames engulfed a home in the Benguche area of Dangriga, where Sonia and her two adult grandsons were sleeping. Awakened by the smoke, they tried to escape, but heartbreakingly, Sonia couldn’t make it out in time. Witnesses say the fire was too fierce for anyone to help her, and she perished inside. News Five’s Britney Gordon has more on this unfortunate incident.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Since the early hours of the morning, these siblings have been tirelessly clearing away the charred remains of their family home, which caught fire earlier today. It’s a grueling task, not just because of the physical labor involved, but also the emotional toll of knowing that just hours ago, their beloved sister, Sonia Sambula, lost her life in the blaze.
Archangel Blanch Sambula
Archangel Blanch Sambula, Sister of Deceased
“When I got a call early this morning, I was informed that my sister was perished in a fire. I think it started about After twelve before the and it’s so unfortunate that you know that had happened to my sister because she was a loving, outgoing person.”
Britney Gordon
“Did your sister live here by herself?”
Archangel Blanch Sambula
“No, she lived here with her grandkids and one of her daughters.”
Britney Gordon
“Any of them, did they get any injuries from the fire?”
Archangel Blanch Sambula
“None of them received any injury. My sister was the only one that got killed in the fire.”
Sonia lived in an elevated single-story home with her daughter, Marsha, and her two grandsons. Last night, it was just Sonia and her grandsons at home when the strong smell of smoke jolted them awake. One of her grandsons shared the heart-wrenching story of how he battled between fear and frustration, desperately trying to save himself and his grandmother.
Voice of: Fire Victim
Voice of: Fire Victim
“When I mi sleep, I mi di rest up and then I start see flames start erupt like round eleven thirty so then I rush downstairs and I downstairs and I check weh gone on. And when I check da flames. And then I run upstairs fir try save my granny but then I can’t because smoke done deh inna my lungs already, I di cough up. Fa mi look fi gone to so I just spin round back and run outside. I jump from way top of the veranda. About ten foot.”
Britney Gordon
“So you’re saying that at that moment you couldn’t breathe the smoke was so thick?”
Voice of: Fire Victim
“Yes, thick bad like firehearth.”
Neighbors recall the chilling sound of Sonia’s cries for help echoing through the neighborhood, spurring many to rush over with buckets of water and calls to the authorities. Dreadfully, the fire had already become too intense for anyone to enter, and despite their best efforts, Sonia was overcome by the flames.
Voice of: Fire Victim
“Nobody mi cya help because it mi done too late.”
Britney Gordon
“It was already engulfed in flames?”
Voice of: Fire Victim
“Flames. Flames and two tank mi de in de.”
The cause of the fire remains a mystery, but the family has come together, seeking support and answers. Sonia’s eldest son, Denmark Sambula, who lives in Belize City, rushed down to Dangriga as soon as he could.
Denmark Sambula
Denmark Sambula, Son of Deceased
“I di sleep my phone ring bout twelve-thirty, quarter to one. When I answer my call my uncle, right ova deh so, he ask me if I know weh di goi an? I want know. No. Tell me weh di go an. He seh yo ma house deh pan fire and yo ma deh trap inside and ih can’t come out, I da like what. I jump up and my wife right ya so, she hear the conversation cuz I had it pan speaker and she jump up and bawl to.”
Sambula explains that a wave of helplessness immediately overtook him upon hearing the news.
Denmark Sambula
“Mein I wish I coulda mi fly from Belize City to Dangriga at the moment mami. I wish wa miracle could mi happen but mein the father God know’s best you know. I can’t question his doing and thing,”
Sonia is fondly remembered as a joyful woman with a deep religious faith. Neighbors often recall hearing her sing gospel music at the top of her lungs, her voice filling the air and reaching their homes.
Denmark Sambula
“Mein she da wa loving mother. Every day she go church. She never got time fi stay home. I da like, ma, you not just come from church? She said, well, I gwen again. I have wa lee prayer meeting. I’m leaving. I tell her, ma, relax, ma. Go tomorrow morning. You know, she always find time for church. Every day she got time fi go to church. Yeah, love and she loved all ah we. Ih love ih grandchildren.”
On top of losing their beloved Sonia, Marsha and her sons have lost all their personal belongings and now face the daunting task of rebuilding their lives from scratch. The Sambula family is reaching out to the public for any donations to help ease this process. Denmark, Sonia’s eldest son, is stepping up to support his sister and can be contacted at 606-4530 for donations.
Denmark Sambula
“Family from Dangriga, from Belmopan from Belize City, everybody come, unite up and thing and try mek all ah we get over this grief together.”
Archangel Blanch Sambula
“She was wow, somebody who loves to help. It wouldn’t take a dollar for her to help someone. Once you’re in need, she would help you.”
