This morning, police shot a man named Edward Saldano inside the Michael Finnegan Market. Officers reportedly found a firearm in the market, and when they tried to approach Saldano, he ran. They shot him in the leg to stop him and took him to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for treatment. Saldano is no stranger to trouble; he was wanted for escaping police custody back in November. Today, his run-in with the law ended with a gunshot wound. We spoke with his mother, Joyce Martinez, outside the hospital. She believes the police didn’t need to shoot her son.
Edward Saldano
Edward Saldano, Shooting Victim
“Deh handcuff me and shot up, deh bally done handcuff me and shot me.”
Joyce Martinez
Joyce Martinez, Mother of Shooting Victim
“I really nuh know what happen, all I know the other day a shooting happened and they say he did the shooting. That is what I hear. I asked him if he wanted to go in. He said, what will I go in for when every minute as I go in they hold me. I understand that, because every time I carry my son they hold him, or sometimes I pay a lawyer to carry him in. But when you reach there it is a different story. My daughter called me and said they are walking around market to f**king find a gun. How will you know if that is his gun?”
Paul Lopez
“So he was in the vicinity?”
Joyce Martinez
“Look like he was at some stall and he see them and run apparently and they shot him. Then they look around to see if he had anything on him and they find a gun. So if you find a gun now dah fuh you? Yo nuh get no justice out yah, nun at all. If you nuh got money, nothing work. I tired of the police and deh nonsense and some of them call themselves GI3. Deh dah nuh GI3 deh dah BI f**king 3, deh act like woman.”
Paul Lopez
“Is it your view that in their attempt to detain your son they should not have shot him.”
Joyce Martinez
“Of course, detain him but why you have to shot him?”
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams is conducting a two-day tour of irregular border crossings in northern Belize. According to the Belize Police Department, the commissioner is meeting with officers from the Northern Operations Unit to discuss challenges and explore ways to improve security and operational effectiveness.
It said, “With heightened cartel activity in neighbouring Chetumal, it is only prudent that we reassess our operational objectives to ensure no vulnerable areas are left exposed to potential spillover effects. We remain committed to targeting local Belizeans known to associate with cartels in an effort to disrupt their activities.”
Accompanying Commissioner Williams on the tour are ACP Alford Grinage, Commander of Operations; Sr. Supt. Christopher Noble, Northern Regional Commander; Supt. Aaron Gamboa, OC SPU; ASP Marciano Mejia, OC MIU; and Inspector Jamin Cassanova, OC HIT.
The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has denied a special leave application filed by Jeremy Enriquez in his case against the Attorney General of Belize. The ruling, delivered on March 4, 2025, marks the latest development in a legal battle that also involves the Elections and Boundaries Commission as an interested party.
According to court documents, Enriquez sought special leave to appeal a decision from the Belize Court of Appeal, but the CCJ dismissed the application, stating it was “without merit.”
The court ruled that the matter would be handled on paper submissions, eliminating the need for an oral hearing before denying the application.
Enriquez is challenging the March 12th election, claiming the voters list is unconstitutional. His attorney, Anand Ramlogan, requested an urgent appeal, but the Court of Appeal must first decide if it qualifies for an expedited hearing. Frustrated with the delay, Ramlogan took the unprecedented step of appealing the case management orders to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
The two candidates were supposed to go head-to-head in a debate organised by the Citizens for Good Governance in Dangriga. However, the debate has been called off due to a disagreement over the venue. Dr. Louis Zabaneh of the People’s United Party and independent candidate Cyril Uruwei Garcia were set to debate.
Dr. Zabaneh had initially requested the debate a week prior. According to the statement, while the CFGG and Dr. Zabaneh had agreed on the Chiste Garcia Auditorium, a venue capable of accommodating over 2,000 people, the organisation later insisted on holding the debate at the Dangriga Town Hall, which only holds about 100 people.
Dr. Zabaneh argued that the smaller venue would restrict public access, particularly for students and residents from rural villages without internet access. The statement said that despite offering to sponsor the event, including transportation for attendees, CFGG rejected the offer and maintained their stance on the Town Hall. In response, Dr. Zabaneh withdrew his request for the debate.
In a press release issued today, Garcia questioned Zabaneh’s decision, accusing him of avoiding public scrutiny. Garcia dismissed this reasoning, pointing out that the debate was also set to be broadcast live on the internet, allowing Zabaneh’s supporters to watch remotely. He argued that declining to debate raises doubts about a candidate’s willingness to be accountable to voters.
“This election is not about comfort or convenience—it is about you, the people,” Garcia stated in his release. “When a candidate refuses to debate, it raises a serious question: does he already believe he has won? Does he think your vote doesn’t matter?”
“If a candidate will not stand before you now, how can you trust them to stand up for you after the election?” he asked.
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.”
