Compol: Belize’s “Porous Border” Needs to be Addressed

After multiple encounters with immigration officials, the hijacker successfully re-entered Belize and bought a ticket for a domestic flight. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams expressed uncertainty about how Taylor managed to cross the northern border, emphasizing the urgent need to bolster security in these vulnerable areas. Williams also mentioned that authorities will be reviewing and enhancing security protocols at municipal airports to prevent similar incidents in the future. Stay tuned for more details on this developing story.

 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“It so happens that Mr. Taylor, went back over into the Mexican side and how he eventually returned into the country. We don’t know. But again, I’ve said before, our border is very porous in that area and so he could have easily stepped back into the country. We also hearing information now that he had assaulted some police officers, which was never reported to myself or Mr. Rosado. And certainly if Mr. Rosado was told that he had assaulted any police, I’m sure. That he would not have directed, that the man not be detained. And even if a person assaults the police, you don’t need to seek permission from the commissioner, the deputy commissioner, even your command to arrest that person. There is that person there and then there is no need for you to call and say, this person assault me. What can I do? No, you  don’t need to do that.”

 

Reporter

“So there is a legal provision for you to carry a license firearm on an aircraft? I’m not familiar with that.”

 

Chester Williams

“I don’t think I have said that. No. And there is nothing either to say that you cannot. Yes. We would hope that nobody would be able to board an air airline with any kind of weapon. And I believe at the time it’s coming that we are going to get there. It’s a work in progress. There is always a possibility for anything to occur. It is a matter for us to make sure that we learn from this experience. None of us who were involved in this entire process had any prior. Experience in dealing with a plane hijacking incident. None of us. But we had to be creative, we had to be reasonable and adapt strategies that we believe is going to work that is going to yield the result that we got. And I think that all the agencies are involved, the police, the, civil aviation, the airport authority, the BDF really and truly performed exceptionally well. Our efforts were well coordinated.”