A Pastor and Six Fishermen are Busted with Kilo of Cocaine

Six fishermen from northern Belize and a Burrell Boom pastor were brought into Belize City from Orange Walk today to face charges related to a major drug bust last night in the Orange Walk District. The arrested individuals include Pastor Mark Anthony Humes, fifty-two, a taxi driver from Burrell Boom Village, along with six fishermen: Lerman Norman Leslie, thirty-one, from Chunox Village, Corozal; Freddy Estuardo Chavez, forty-three, from San Estevan, Orange Walk District; Angel Aragon, forty-four, from Sarteneja Village, Corozal District; Marvin Teul, thirty-five, from Sarteneja Village, Corozal District; Ronyer Alexander Cruz, twenty-four, also from Sarteneja Village, Corozal District; and Christian Merilyn White, thirty-eight, from Sarteneja Village, Corozal District. The group arrived around 11:25 AM and was quickly escorted into Court #2. Pastor Humes had attorney Lynden Jones representing him, while the other men were unrepresented. They were all charged with possession of controlled drugs with intent to supply one thousand, one hundred and thirty-seven grams (gross weight) of suspected cocaine. The allegations state that on the night of March eighteenth, 2025, in the Orange Walk District, the group was found with one thousand, one hundred and thirty-seven grams of suspected cocaine intended for drug trafficking. All seven men pleaded not guilty, but due to the quantity of the suspected cocaine, they couldn’t be granted bail and were remanded to Belize Central Prison until May twenty-second, 2025. The Senior Magistrate informed the men of their right to apply for bail at the High Court, as the lower court couldn’t grant bail until ninety days on remand. During the proceedings, Angel Aragon expressed his desire to change his plea to guilty. Attorney Lynden Jones, representing Pastor Humes, was contacted to be present for this development. Jones requested a sentencing indication for Aragon, seeking a fine instead of prison time. However, the Senior Magistrate made it clear that a fine wouldn’t be an option, and Aragon faced a potential prison term of four to seven years. After hearing this, Aragon rejected the sentencing indication, and the matter was adjourned to May twenty-second, in the Orange Walk Magistrate’s Court. The court is waiting for the lab certificate to confirm the actual weight of the suspected cocaine, which could affect the charges. Attorney Jones noted that this was Aragon’s first drug conviction and that he is the sole provider for his family, including an ill granddaughter. He argued for a fine under the new sentencing guidelines for first-time offenders. The Senior Magistrate explained that the amount of suspected cocaine could change, so it was wise to delay accepting a guilty plea. The bust was made around 7:00 PM by the Mobile Interdiction Team (MIT) and Highway Interdiction Team (HIT), who intercepted a gold Dodge Caravan driven by Pastor Mark Anthony Humes. Humes was reportedly hired to transport the six fishermen from Belize City to Orange Walk, but the vehicle was intercepted before reaching its destination.