Ministry of Defence Confirms Encounter with Guatemalan Military Boats

News Five attempted to get a comment from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and from the Ministry of Defence and Border Security, but that was not forthcoming. The Ministry of Defence and Border Security issued an official press release about Sunday’s incident, in which it states that a joint B.D.F/Coastguard patrol was deployed to the Sarstoon and encountered five Guatemalan Armed Forces maritime vessels on the northern side of the Sarstoon Island, as well as the five civilian vessels on the excursion. The release continues that Wil Maheia informed the joint patrol that they had placed two Belizean flags on the Sarstoon Island, which members of the Guatemalan Armed Forces later removed. It further states that “the Guatemalans informed the joint patrol that the entire area belongs to Guatemala; however, the joint patrol commander informed the Guatemalan Armed Forces that they were in Belizean territory and that they should leave. Shortly thereafter, the Belize Territorial Volunteers and the Guatemalan Armed Forces vessels departed. The Belize Defence Force and Belize National Coast Guard joint patrol then left the area to the Sarstoon Forward Operating Base to maintain military presence” . The Ministry of Defence and Border Security says that their joint deployment continues with regular patrols from Barranco Village to Sarstoon Island to ensure border security.