The Ministry of Human Development, Families, and Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs has partnered with Agape International Missions Belize (AIM) to expand care services for survivors of violence.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed.
The partnership is aimed at enhancing the ministry’s efforts to provide essential rehabilitative services and holistic care for individuals affected by trafficking.
The Chief Executive Officer, Adele Catzim, said, “This partnership will be instrumental in providing comprehensive support to individuals who are vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking.”
AIM is a global organisation committed to addressing human trafficking and exploitation while providing essential support services for survivors.
Ingrid Flores shared a powerful testimony on her Facebook page about how God saved her young son’s life.
She recounted that while preparing breakfast for her children before school, her son went outside and sat at the veranda table. Moments later, she heard him making a strange, unsettling noise. “I said, ‘Jessy da what’ but he did not answer. So I peeped through the window and saw him bending down and making the ugly noise. So instantly I thought he was playing with the knife and got cut,” she shared.
She said she rushed outside and quickly realised he was turning purple and struggling to breathe. “And I stayed freeze my head was not processing anything, but God hurry showed me what was wrong without looking at his front face and I start knocking on his back but he was getting more purple,” she said.
She shouted for her husband, who ran out and did everything he could, hitting Jessy’s back harder. Suddenly, a white bottle cap flew out of his mouth.
Her son later explained that he had been thirsty and tried to open a bottle of water with his teeth. He pulled too hard, causing the cap to get lodged in his throat.
On her Facebook post, Flores urged parents to be mindful of seemingly small dangers that could lead to life-threatening incidents.
President Donald Trump’s sweeping 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada took effect on Tuesday, a move aimed at pressuring America’s top trading partners. However, the decision threatens to destabilise the North American economy, including the U.S., at a time when consumers are already struggling with inflation, CNN reported.
Trump also doubled tariffs on all Chinese imports, raising them from 10% to 20%. According to CNN, these new duties add to existing levies on hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of Chinese goods. In response, China and Canada immediately imposed tariffs on American exports, escalating tensions and fuelling fears of a trade war. Mexico has vowed to announce its own countermeasures by Sunday.
The Trump administration justified the tariffs as a necessary step to curb fentanyl trafficking into the U.S., CNN reported.
“While President Trump gave both Canada and Mexico ample opportunity to curb the dangerous cartel activity and influx of lethal drugs flowing into our country, they have failed to adequately address the situation,” the White House stated just before the tariffs took effect.
Yet, the move comes at a precarious time for the U.S. economy. Inflation remains high, and recent economic data indicates growing instability. The new tariffs are expected to drive up prices on a wide range of imported goods from the three nations, which collectively shipped $1.4 trillion worth of products to the U.S. last year—over 40% of total imports, according to Commerce Department data.
One exception to the 25% Canadian tariff is energy-related goods such as crude oil, which will instead face a 10% tax. Meanwhile, fresh produce, automobiles and car parts, and electronics—including smartphones and computers—will now be subject to tariffs between 20% and 25%.
A Belizean man was shot multiple times and killed in the Garifuna community of Travesía, Puerto Cortés, in Honduras on Monday.
The victim has been identified as 38-year-old Larry Bernardez, also known as “Rasta.” His body was found on the porch of a house in the Wamonton neighbourhood, near the cemetery along the road from Puerto Cortés to Travesía, in an alley leading to the municipal beaches.
The motive for the murder remains under investigation.
The bodies of two Belizean men, wanted for a police investigation, were found alongside three Mexicans in Quintana Roo early Saturday morning. Michael Whitaker, twenty-seven, and Aaron Tun, eighteen, from Corozal District, were shot and left near a building by the Rio Hondo River in Sacxan, Quintana Roo. Their bodies were discovered with three Mexicans who were also shot. Police reported signs of torture and suspect the killings were carried out by cartels in Chetumal. A relative of Whitaker told News Five that he had tried to escape his dangerous lifestyle, but it eventually caught up with him. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.
On the Phone: Relative of Michael Whitaker
“He visited his family and then he gone. Honestly, he didn’t give away the location where he was staying. He just used to come in sometimes.”
Marion Ali, Reporting
A relative of Michael Whitaker told News Five today that he used to visit sometimes and then leave, but they didn’t know where he stayed. His body was found in Chetumal along with another Belizean, Aaron Tun and three Mexicans on Saturday. Police in Chetumal made the grim discovery next to a building by the Rio Hondo River. Alongside the bodies were messages written in Spanish, containing chilling threats aimed at specific individuals. One message warned against extortion and theft, stating, “This is for all those who are charging protection fees and those who do not allow businesses like cigarette vendors…Stop stealing. Sincerely, you know who.” Commissioner of Police Chester Williams informed reporters that these murders appear to be the work of Mexican drug cartels. Belizean and Mexican authorities are now collaborating to solve this latest cross-border crime.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“The Mexican police in Chatal came across five bodies and among those bodies were two Belizeans from across our district. Again, we continue to collaborate with our Mexican group to see what information can be obtained. But certainly we do believe that, again, based on information that the incident involving those individuals is drug related and may have been carried out by the cartels in the Chetumal area.”
Williams suggested that the Belizeans might have gone to Chetumal for their criminal activities due to the strong police presence and effective operations in northern Belize.
Chester Williams
“Just to solidify the fact that our northern operations are really holding because of the constant pressure coming through the operations, those individuals who are Belizeans had fled Belize and went to live in Chetumal to avoid the operations. And, again, it goes back to what I said before, you sleep with dogs, you catch their fleas. They went to Chetumal, they are engaged with the cartels. What our northern operations are doing is serve as a bulwark to prevent the cartels from coming into our country and operating and I believe that we’re doing very good at that.”
But why were the Belizeans killed? According to one of the messages found on a piece of cardboard, they were involved in collecting protection fees and stealing.
Chester Williams
“From what I’ve seen. What we have gathered so far is that these people seemingly are operating for the cartels in Mexico. And, uh, they are collecting fees and the fees being collected is being stolen by them. So they’re not reporting to their bosses on their collections, and because of that, that is the reason why they were killed.”
Whitaker’s relative who went to collect his remains in Chetumal today told News Five that he had tried to exit that risky life, but that it eventually caught up with him.
On the Phone: Relative of Michael Whitaker
“He made a choice to choose probably that life. He did want to leave, but things happened and he couldn’t leave. He wanted to leave that life behind and be a better citizen. But it was too late to change it. Once you’re in that life, it’s either you’re going deeper or you’re not dead as well.”
Meanwhile, a third Belizean, Joshua Hall, is also wanted by the police for another investigation. It’s believed that Hall was with Whitaker and Tun in Chetumal but managed to escape and return to Belize.
Chester Williams
“There’s another person of interest that we’re looking for one Joshua Hall. From what we understand, was along with that group, but he was able to escape. And from what we are getting is that he’s back in Belize, and we are looking for him. We do have a bench warrant for his arrest. So once he’s found he’ll be taken into custody.”
The commissioner is convinced that the murder of Raheem Usher just days before was not related to this latest one.
Chester Williams
“We are certain to some extent that Raheem Usher was killed by locals and again, I can say to you that we have, we have good information in terms of who those locals are. Two of them we believe are dead.”
Reporter
“Okay, so it is kind of connected in a way, if you believe that these two men were, killed Raheem.”
Chester Williams
“Doesn’t mean that they’re connected, no. Possibilities, yes, but doesn’t give a definitive answer.”
Whitaker’s family said he never mentioned going across the border. Tun’s family chose not to comment. Marion Ali for News Five.
Raheem Usher
In the Raheem Usher case, the postmortem of twenty-nine-year-old Raheem Usher revealed he was shot four times in the head and starved for nearly a month before his body was found near a bridge in San Antonio Village, Orange Walk. His hands and feet were bound, and despite a written message found with him, police believe his killers are from Belize.
Police have confirmed that a suspected drug plane recently landed in southern Belize. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams shared that on Sunday, authorities were alerted about a suspicious aircraft leaving South America and heading towards Belize. The Joint Intelligence and Operations Center kept a close watch on the plane’s movements. Earlier today, Williams provided more details about the discovery of the illegal aircraft.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Last night sometime after eleven p.m. an illicit truck was declared leaving South America, coming our way. As we normally would do in these instances, we would call the true JIOC [Joint Intelligence and Operations Center] in ensuring that we deploy personnels in different areas that we suspect the plane may likely go on land. We monitor the track until it enters our airspace, sometime after one, two this morning, and it disappeared about two miles away from the Belize Guatemalan border in the south. Our counterparts have indicated to us that the plane landed in Belizean territory near the border with Guatemala in some extremely rugged terrain. And so, the BDF did a flyover with the aircraft, and we also sent in a jet team comprising of police and BDF to the location. And a few minutes ago, they were able to locate the plane in Belizean territory just as was indicated to us near the Guatemalan border. So it’s a small, it’s a jet, and it has been destroyed by fire.”
Reporter
“So no cargo whatsoever?”
Chester Williams
“No cargo was found on the plane, no.”
Reporter
“What about a makeshift airstrip, anything like that?”
Chester Williams
“Yes an airstrip is there that the plane landed on. From all indications from the team on the ground is that the plane landed well, was not damaged during landing. But after landing it was pilled on the side and burnt.”
Reporter
“Roughly what time would you say it landed?’
Chester Williams
“It landed this morning sometime between three and four.”
On Sunday, Kieran Gonzalez from Benque Viejo took to social media to vent his anger at the Belize Police Department for shooting his dog. Gonzalez claims that while he was away, police entered his home, killed his beloved pitbull, Saiko, and took the body without his permission. Later, they came back and arrested him. His post went viral, reminding many of an earlier incident this year when an officer was punished for shooting the Governor General’s dog, sparking a debate about police handling of animals. However, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams says Gonzalez’s story is missing some details. According to Williams, police were called to the scene after a domestic complaint against Gonzalez, who then fled. During the search, Saiko escaped from a sealed veranda and charged at the officers, who shot the dog out of fear for their safety. Here are more details on the incident.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“ The veranda was sealed off. But the dog was able to get away from the veranda and attack the police. And the police had no other choice but to shoot the dog. Having shot the dog, the young lady who is the common law of the young man, requested of the police to assist her in getting the dog from the house to take the dog to a vet. Because the dog was still alive, the dog was not dead at that particular time. And so the police, again, out of generosity, assisted her in moving the dog from there to another house where she resides and she would have taken the dog to the vet. But it so turned out that the dog ended up dying sometime around 8 a.m. yesterday morning. The young man in question, Apparently, he arrived at home after having escaped or fleeing the police. And he found out what happened. At the same time the corporal who was in charge of the banquet station at that particular time visited the house to have see if he was there and to explain to them what had transpired. But when the corporal got there, he was met with a great degree of hostility from the young man and his brother. Who, as you can see in the video, stood at the gate with machetes shouting and insulting the police in the most derogative manner. And as the corporal was saying to them, it was not me who shot the dog. And the corporal was right. He was not on that operation when the dog was shot. He just went back there to have seen what transpired. And to likewise see if the young man was there because he was wanted by the police. They’ll be charged with insulting the police and aggravated assault.”
Reporter
“And had the home had there been other domestic reports from that home before?”
Chester Williams
“I believe so, and if a matter of fact, there is also a complaint from the common-law wife that the young man also stole her phone during the same domestic issue. So we’re also looking at a child of theft for him in respect of that matter. And again, I need to say, as Belizeans, we need to decide what we want, right? But when we had the incident with the Governor General, that even though the video footage, the people that the officer in question went after a dog that was not aggressing him and killed that dog. People were like, oh, it’s just a dog, it’s just a dog, and no, here we have a situation where it’s totally different. Where the dog aggressed the officers and the officers did what needed to have been done to protect themselves. The public want to vilify the police officers. We have to decide what we want. It’s still a dog likewise.”
On Friday night, a video of a fight outside Shisha Nightclub started making the rounds on social media. In the video, City Councilor Evan Thompson is seen as one of the men involved in the brawl. After the incident, Thompson released a statement saying he wasn’t the aggressor and acted in self-defense. He apologized, saying, “I sincerely apologize if this incident has been perceived negatively. It is in no way a reflection of the Belize City Council or the People’s United Party, both of which I proudly serve with integrity and commitment”. Thompson also mentioned that he wasn’t arrested or taken into custody and won’t be pressing charges. However, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams clarified today that both men will face charges to ensure public safety. Here’s more on that.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I already sent that matter to Mr. Romero and he’s here, with instructions that those persons involved must be picked up and charged.”
Reporter
“They will be tried for disorderly conduct?”
Chester Williams
“Yes, as we normally do. Does it concern you, I mean, this is such a problematic area, you know, lots of fights happening out of, out here, and I know police, they’re always in that area, but does it concern you that it seems like it’s just, it’s a problem that can’t be solved? I won’t say it can’t be solved. We just need to do what needs to. Constantly arrest those involved. It sends a message to other persons that if you do the same, you’ll end up in the same situation. So it’s important is for us to make sure we deal with those persons who get involved in these fights.”
Today, we caught up with Mayor Bernard Wagner who told us that he believes Thompson’s account and sides with him on this one. He, however, shared that he implores his councilors time and time again to stay away from nightclubs and invest that energy in their communities.
Bernard Wagner
Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
“It is about ensuring that due process is maintained. We have to hear the side of the councilor. But from all account, based on what I have heard so far, it was provoked. He was provoked. You have to defend yourself at all times. I would consider that maybe politics and clubbing don’t mix like oil and water. On that side he may have had some poor judgment by going into these clubs. I have always maintained to our councilors stay away from clubs. It does not mix. Only problems could happen there and you see in that situation clearly he waws provoked. I am behind him. I support him. I draw a line when they are in the wrong. But when I believe they are in the right I support them for it. There are many activities you could engage in, positive activities. Being in the club one, two in the night will serve no purpose. But being on the basketball court and the football field, eight, nine, ten in the morning shows me the difference and so I want to always really encourage them to participate in sporting activities. Get in the communities, serve the communities instead of serving the clubs.”
Last week, reports surfaced about a journalist being assaulted by police at an incident scene. Louis ‘Ljay’ Wade, a PlusTV reporter, claims he arrived at Guanacaste Park in Belmopan, where Henry Osorio and Alexander Munoz had drowned, shortly after the police. Wade says he waited at the park entrance until the police left and filmed from a distance. After the bodies were removed, Wade alleges that police approached him, pinned him against the gate, and seized his phone. They demanded he delete the videos or face charges for obstruction of justice, but he refused. Wade claims this confrontation lasted several minutes, during which his phone was taken multiple times, he was denied a phone call, and the officers refused to give their names and badge numbers. We spoke with Wade today for more details.
Louis ‘Ljay’ Wade, Reporter, PlusTV
“I wasn’t necessarily scared. I was just shocked at what had happened. Because I feel like the situation could have been avoided if, at the start, they would have told me to, just leave this area because we’re about to do something to the body. Then I would have left, but it’s as they’re taking the body. Then they immediately come for me with no talking, like pinning me up against the gate that I was at. It was just, it was weird.”
Reporter
“And so you’re going to make a report?”
Louis ‘Ljay’ Wade
“I wasn’t going to make a report at first because I didn’t get injured. People weren’t there so I wasn’t too embarrassed. They didn’t break my phone. But after talking it over, yeah, I filed a report. Yeah, filed a report.”
Britney Gordon
“And you said that, they didn’t have the caution tape or stuff like that. Do you think that this is probably a reason, lack of proper equipment, that they didn’t want you to record anything?”
Louis ‘Ljay’ Wade
“Yeah, a hundred percent because I forgot to mention, but like when they were taking me to the vehicle, he was telling me the only reason I’m there is to show the police department in a bad light. Because they weren’t transporting the body with the proper structure or anything like that. Like they were literally holding the guy by his leg, his hand. And upon rewatching the video, one of them is actually holding the guy by his hair. Like taking the dead body. But I didn’t even notice that in the moment. Like I’m just capturing the scene of the dead body being transported. But they were telling me, you just want to look bad because you see we don’t have the equipment and stuff like that. So I think that played a role in it.”
