In response to the recent accidents, the Ministry of Transport is stepping up its road safety game. Partnering with the police and local traffic authorities, they’ll be increasing patrols and setting up more vehicle checkpoints, especially at night, to crack down on traffic violations. They’ll also be hosting media sessions to share tips and best practices to discourage unsafe driving. Anyone caught breaking traffic laws will face serious consequences. Earlier today, we spoke with Chief Transport Officer Leon Gentle.
Leon Gentle
Leon Gentle, Chief Transport Officer
“This year has seen an alarming number of incidents and I believe between last year and this year, last year we ended with eighty-nine fatal accidents and this year we are all the way up to one [hundred] ten. So there’s a twenty-two percent increase in road collisions that resulted in fatalities. So this is something that is urgent. This is something that as a community, as a department, as the government, as the basic road user, we all need to come together and have a holistic view of protecting each other.”
Peter Williams
Peter Williams, Deputy Chief Transport Officer
“Traffic data has shown that young people, in particular, young men at that age, they are more risk averse. They are more prone to taking risks and so that is something that we’re fully aware of and it continues to be a challenge in terms of how we address this issue. We continue to look at how we can improve the process of issuing a Belize driver’s license and that’s something that we continue to look at. Even when it comes to certain mental health issues, that’s something that for many years we have not considered when issuing a driver’s license. Primarily, you get a physical examination and that is all you need. We have a lot of people within this country who are suffering their own mental issues and so they need some further analysis before we can issue the driving license because that is a main component, how we put people on the roads. For us, we’re not afraid to fail. When you fail, you’re able to learn from your mistakes and you try to develop new strategies and that is what we’re trying to do at the department. And so, already we have been meeting to develop our new strategy for the new year coming and so you’ll be seeing a spin on how we deliver this road safety message because it’s not getting through to the Belizean people anymore. At one point, some years ago, we use to focus on the data. That was effective at one point. We would put out the data and the public would say, mein, so many persons are dying from road [traffic accidents] and then we would see a reduction. But due to other factors, we are realizing that that is no longer effective.”
Tonight, a tourist from Texas, Isaac Jeremy Flores, is out on ten thousand dollars bail after a magistrate in San Pedro granted it on Monday. Initially, there was a warrant to remand him to prison until he could post bail with Belizean surety. However, attorney Dickie Bradley stepped in late this evening to secure his release. Flores, thirty-nine, was vacationing in San Pedro with his fiancée, Jennifer Dawn Hernandez, forty, when a tragic incident occurred on December sixth. While driving a golf cart on Secret Beach Road, Flores hit a bump, causing Hernandez to fall out and suffer fatal injuries. Three days later, on December ninth, Flores was charged with four traffic offenses: causing death by careless conduct, reckless driving, driving without due care and attention, and failing to provide a specimen for analysis. He appeared before Magistrate Tehru-Ann Brown in San Pedro Magistrate’s Court. Attorney Richard “Dickie” Bradley explained that the prosecutor objected to bail, citing Flores as a flight risk and strong police evidence. Despite this, Bradley successfully argued for bail, set at ten thousand dollars with one Belizean surety or two sureties of five thousand dollars each. Police suspect Flores had been consuming alcohol at the time of the incident. Flores mentioned he has yet to speak with Hernandez’s family and assist with her funeral arrangements.
Richard “Dickie” Bradley
Richard “Dickie” Bradley, Attorney-at-law
“Mr. Isaac Flores is part of a group that came to visit Belize and on Friday night an unfortunate incident occurred where I have gone to the island, I’ve seen the photos. He was driving a golf cart with the person he was supposed to propose to, and even the police are confirming that they hit a bump in the road. As a consequence, the young lady fell off the golf cart. They did everything they could but she passed away. So, Mr. Isaac, he’s not fully himself right now, he’s gone through quite a traumatic experience. He was charged for a number of offenses, not driving properly, causing death by careless conduct and so forth.
Isaac Flores
“First time leaving the country and traveling out of the country together. It’s my first time being in Belize.”
Reporter
“So you are saying that you have not been able to speak, you have been in custody since Friday.”
Isaac Flores
Isaac Flores
“Yes, I haven’t been able to contact the family, I haven’t been able to make arrangements, but thankful for others in the group, two of them that are still here that have communicated with the family. I’ve been incarcerated with no access to communicate to anybody in the States. And that’s what hurts the most, I gotta go back home.”
We start tonight’s news with the heartbreaking details of a tragic road accident in San Ignacio, marking the worst in recent history. A three-vehicle pile-up claimed ten lives and left four others injured, two of them critically. The accident occurred between miles seventy-one and seventy-two on the San Ignacio/Benque Viejo road, just a few hundred yards past Kontiki Service Station, heading from San Ignacio towards Benque. A Ford Expedition SUV with four occupants was traveling from San Ignacio towards Benque, while a Toyota Corolla with nine occupants was heading in the opposite direction. The two vehicles collided head-on, causing the Corolla to burst into flames. Tragically, all nine occupants, including a four-year-old girl, perished. A motorcyclist traveling behind the SUV also crashed into the back of the vehicle and died on impact. The four occupants of the SUV were the only survivors, though they sustained injuries. Six of the deceased were friends and employees of Ready Call Center in San Ignacio. In the aftermath of this tragedy, the call center held a candlelight vigil on Sunday night, joined by the families of all ten victims. News Five’s Marion Ali brings us the story.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The cause of the Toyota Corolla bursting into flames upon impact, tragically killing all nine of its occupants on Saturday night, remains a mystery. The horrific accident happened around ten PM between miles seventy-one and seventy-two on the San Ignacio/Benque Road, involving a head-on collision with a Ford Expedition SUV. The Corolla’s occupants were returning from a shopping trip to Melchor de Mencos, Guatemala. Shamela Pinelo was watching a live report of the accident when she discovered the heartbreaking news that she had lost both a niece and a cousin. When she called her niece’s phone, it was the police who answered.
Shamela Pinelo
Shamela Pinelo, Aunt of Keilin Pinelo
“From the moment they said come to the scene, I already saw on the live body bars. Because it was at the hospital, the police would have said, go to the hospital. So I knew what I was coming to see. When I got here, it was just sad. On the scene you will see curtains and different old stuff on the scene, where they went to do Christmas shopping.”
Pinelo mentioned that another victim had even joked with her about forgetting to bring her passport.
Shamela Pinelo
“The saddest thing for me, with the little one that name Ashley, I was in town, and she passed, and she watched me, and I hailed her, and I waved, and she said, who goes to Melchor and forget their passport? And then I laughed, and then she went back. Her brother brought it for her. That’s why he doesn’t know how he can hold up.”
Jasmin Rodriguez & daughter Jazelle
Jasmin Rodriguez and her four-year-old daughter, Jazelle, were in the Corolla. Jasmin had gone shopping for Christmas gifts and party supplies for her son’s upcoming seventh birthday this Sunday. Jasmin’s mother, Delfina Rodriguez, shared that the family won’t be celebrating Christmas this year after receiving the devastating news from her son.
Delfina Rodriguez
Delfina Rodriguez, Mother of Jasmin Rodriguez
“She was going to Melchor to buy her children Christmas clothes and a piñata for her son. Its going to be his birthday on Saturday. My son is a policeman. He called his dad and tell him that Jasmin had an accident and Jazza.”
Marion Ali
“Your granddaughter?”
Delfina Rodriguez
“Yes, my granddaughter, and they died. Jazza perished and Jasmin was thrown outside the car. They found her outside, and while going to the hospital, she reached the hospital, she died in the hospital. There will be no Christmas for us. It won’t be the same without.”
The driver of the Toyota Corolla was Roduel Parham, who wasn’t employed by the call center. He left home Saturday morning with his sister-in-law, telling his family he was going to check on a vehicle part. However, his sister-in-law, Aimie Hernandez, worked at the call center, so they might have planned the shopping trip together. Their relative, Christelle Manzanero, spoke with News Five.
Christelle Manzanero
Christelle Manzanero, Aunt of Roduel Parham
“He leave from here in the morning to go and check a vehicle part on Melchor side and coming back on his way, ih pa tell ah he mi wa cross it for ah since he work deh but ih pa mi di tell ah mek ih come home because my sister mi di worry bout ah soh on his way coming back we get the sad news or the sad call that my nephew was in the vehicle. Ih geh burn up and he’s dead along with the rest who passed away. That’s no kinda taximan that’s no kind of taxi man. I don’t know weh people get this information that it was a taxi. It was not a taxi. It was a private Corolla. He was a driver. It was not a taxi.”
Mitzi Iglegias lost her younger brother, Jaheim Iglesias, in the mishap.
Mitzi Iglesias
Mitzi Iglesias, Sister of Jaheim Iglesias
“My brother doesn’t hang around with his coworkers. He usually hangs with other friends, so when he said he was going to go shopping, this was new for me because he always says this: “I’m at work to make money, not to make friends,” but it look like he did make friends this time and he was excited to go shopping, you know, for the Christmas.”
In the wake of the tragedy, Prime Minister John Briceño and Santa Elena/San Ignacio Town Mayor, Earl Trapp, have urged drivers to exercise caution and extended their condolences to the families affected. On Sunday night, Ready Call Centre held a heartfelt candlelight vigil in memory of the six employees who lost their lives. Here’s Marion Ali with the report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The ten persons who died in the accident are: Genesis Roduel Parham, Shailar Lopez, Jasmin Rodriguez, Jazelie Rodriguez, Keilin Pinelo, Dennis Williams, Abigail Bradley, Jaheim Iglesias, Amy Hernandez and Alesandro Carrillo. Carrillo was riding his motorcycle behind the SUV and collided with it when it crashed into the Corolla. Today, A.C.P. Hilberto Romero shared with reporters what the police have learned so far.
“On Saturday, the 7th day of December 2024, around 10:15 p.m., police responded to a road traffic accident in San Ignacio. Upon arrival, they saw a Toyota car, a Ford SUV, and a motorcycle, extensively damaged. The Ford car was seen engulfed in flames, and the information was that several persons were trapped inside the car. Fire personnel were called to the area, assisted with the scene. When the flames were under control, the bodies of eight persons were taken out of the car. The Ford SUV was being driven by Frank Burns, accompanied by his wife, Janelle Burns and their two children. Frank Burns and Janelle Burns were treated at the K.H.M.H. and remain in a stable condition, and the two children were treated and released.”
Britney Gordon
“Was there any alcohol involved?”
A.C.P Hilberto Romero
“Tests will be done and it will be determined when the results are obtained.”
Reporter
“Did the car run a checkpoint?”
A.C.P Hilberto Romero
“Yes, we got information that there was a checkpoint before the accident occurred. In an area, the car ran through the checkpoint and failed to stop.”
In a heartfelt Facebook message on Saturday, Prime Minister John Briceño expressed his sympathy to the families of the deceased. He also reflected on the recent spate of traffic accidents that have tragically claimed several lives. He said, quote, “Our hearts go out to the families impacted by all these traffic incidents. We’re sorry, so very sorry for their loss. To all our citizens, I urge you to utilize our roadways with sound judgment and care. Adhere to the traffic laws, speed limits, and carrying capacities of our motor vehicles. Let’s drive with care for our lives and those of our fellow citizens utilizing our roadways and municipal streets and pathways. We are each other’s keepers in every sphere of life and interactions,” end quote. Mayor Earl Trapp of San Ignacio/Santa Elena expressed his frustration over the lax enforcement of traffic laws. He called for stricter vigilance by the authorities, even if it means some motorists might get upset.
Earl Trapp
Earl Trapp, Mayor, San Ignacio/Santa Elena
“It’s never too late. It’s late in that lives have been lost, but we can take this responsibility. Reactionary moment to begin to implement something proactive, you know, and I believe that it’s no time for us as the local authorities as well as the government to enforce the laws because the laws are there. And I have seen things happen in this municipality where motorists and drivers have caused some kind of infringement and then they come in trying to annul tickets, but I think it’s high time that we, as leaders, begin to take these things very seriously and implement the laws. Because by implementing the laws, one or two people will get mad at you, but you know what, in the end we end up saving lives.”
On Sunday night, Ready Call Center, along with the families and friends of the deceased, gathered for a heartfelt candlelight vigil. Delfina Rodriguez, the mother of Jasmin and grandmother of Jazelle Rodriguez, is also seeking financial assistance from the public as she prepares to lay them to rest. If you would like to help, you can make a deposit to Belize Bank account number 256 936 01 01 60000, under the name Maritza Noelli Rodriguez. Marion Ali for News Five.
Over the weekend, Belizeans were shaken by the news of the country’s deadliest road accident in recent years. A tragic collision in San Ignacio claimed the lives of ten people, including a four-year-old child. This heartbreaking incident comes on the heels of several other road fatalities, such as the death of Miriam “Ms. Pretty” Cordon, who lost her life after a van collided into an SUV she was traveling in accident last week. These are just a few of the many tragic losses Belizeans have faced this year. The Belize Transport Department is striving to address these issues, but as Chief Transport Officer Leon Gentle points out, they are grappling with limited resources.
Leon Gentle
Leon Gentle, Chief Transport Officer
“There are several things that we’re hoping that we can employ. We have been in dialogue with the police department as well as the municipal authorities for us to increase our presence, especially during the night time that has been the challenge for us from the Department of Transport as it relates to doing our night patrols. And we’ve done this. This challenge has always been primarily because the issue. Is the security of our offices that we want to ensure their safety as well. So we always collaborated with the department of the police department to ensure that our officers along with their officers are doing our night patrols and doing our night patrols and vehicle checkpoints. And so while this may seem like a response, it has always been it has always been the fact that we have been collaborating with the police department. While our operations may not go twenty-four or through the night, we do have checkpoints in the hotspots primarily on the western corridor and the northern corridor up until Sometimes all the way up until ten o’clock at night, so there is that level of we have been having those level of response as it relates to nightly checkpoints, but it’s something that we need to revisit to see if we can increase our awareness and presence on the highways.”
Britney Gordon
“What would you say is the main challenge that the department is facing right now in order to counteract these accidents? As police told us earlier, in the case of the St. Ignacio RTA, the driver ran the checkpoint. So how do you manage that?”
Leon Gentle
“So it’s a matter of resources. We’ve been working on to see how we can look at the resources that we have doing self-assessment to look at areas that we can improve on one area that we have identified is human resources. We need to increase the officers that we have in our enforcement unit, as well as we need to increase the number of vehicles that we have to effectively patrol the highways, both during the day and at night.”
Less than twenty-four hours after the tragedy, a motorcyclist took to Facebook on Sunday to share a video of a close call he had with a reckless driver. Daniel Coleman posted footage of a blue pick-up truck swerving into the opposite lane, nearly colliding with an oncoming bus. The truck then overtakes another vehicle, dangerously crossing into the other lane on a curve. Coleman, riding his motorcycle, captures the driver on video before ending the recording. According to Coleman, this incident occurred in Esperanza Village, Cayo.
The Belize Coast Guard is in mourning tonight after the tragic death of Gianna Vanegas. On November thirtieth, the sailor was critically injured in a motorcycle accident on the George Price Highway. She was placed in a coma at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital but sadly succumbed to her injuries. The grief doesn’t end there, as the family of Belmopan business owner Miriam Cordon is also mourning her loss after a fatal collision on December second. ACP Hilberto Romero provides an update on these unfortunate incidents.
“In reference to the motorcycle accident involving Gianna Vanegas, she succumbed to her injuries on Saturday. And then reference the fatal road traffic accident, where Miriam Cordon succumbed to her injuries. An investigation was carried out on Leroy Nunez of Dangriga has since been arrested and charged for the crimes of manslaughter by negligence, causing death by careless conduct, drove motor vehicle with alcoholic concentration above the prescribed limit, and drove motor vehicle without due care attention.”
A tragic accident claimed the life of thirteen-year-old Micah Contreras, a resident of Unitedville. On Thursday evening, Micah was just a short distance from his home on the George Price Highway when a vehicle attempting to overtake collided head-on with his motorbike. The impact flung Micah into a nearby drain, leaving his bike in pieces and his helmet shattered. He suffered severe head injuries. The crash happened so close to home that Micah’s father heard it and rushed out to help, only to discover that his own son was the victim. In the chaos of leaving the yard, one of his father’s employees was also injured. News Five’s Paul Lopez traveled west today to bring us this heartbreaking story.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
On Thursday evening, tragedy struck a Unitedville family once again, just three months after losing a loved one in a motorcycle accident. Thirteen-year-old Micah Contreras was riding his motorcycle on the George Price Highway, not far from home, when a vehicle collided head-on with him. Sadly, Micah met the same fate as his cousin Tamisha Jael did in early September. Micah’s father, Michael Contreras, told News 5 that he had just arrived home from work when he heard the loud crash.
Michael Contreras
Michael Contreras, Father of Deceased
“I mean a loud bang and my cousin who helps me run the company run and say Mike weh part your son deh. I believe Malaki deh pan the soccer field and Micah the inside. I don’t know that Micah left the yard on the motorcycle. He is underage so we don’t allow him to go on the road with the motorcycle. He rides it in the yard.”
Michael Contreras and his children shared a love for motorbikes. Micah learned to ride at the age of five on a small bike. As he grew older, the bike he rode got bigger. But, his parents restricted him from riding it on the highway because of his age. They instead used their one acre and a half property to ride.
Michael Contreras
“I jump in my truck and drive down deh and when I reach down there I see that dah my son in the drain. He got hit by an incoming vehicle in his lane. He got hit so hard that the helmet he had on fly off of his head. The strap buss, bruk up and ih look like the vehicle drag him all the way in the drain. So, a father’s first instinct is to jump in the drain, check my son and at first, I was scared to pick him up, he was broken up really bad. So, based on first aid training I hold his head a certain way, picked him up and put him over my shoulder, it was like I was holding my baby again.”
Michael hurriedly took his son to the Western Regional Hospital. Unfortunately, Micah passed away just fifteen minutes after arriving. In the frantic rush to leave his yard in his red pickup truck, one of Michael’s employees fell from the back and suffered a head injury. Thankfully, that employee has since been treated and released from the hospital.
Michael Contreras
“The thing is I had just come from work, so I don’t have the slightest idea where he had been, where he was coming from. The neighbors are saying that he visited one of his friend that lives just across the soccer field. They normally would play soccer together. That is where he went to pick up his friend and bring him to the soccer field so they could have soccer game.”
Paul Lopez
“For him, this was a case of thief chance. Have he ever thief chance like this before?”
Michael Contreras
“He did it once, and I got on him about it and he never do it again. I guess he felt the urge to do it yesterday, dad is not home, so I will thief the chance and this tragic accident happened.”
Paul Lopez
“Was the bike in fact broken in half?”
Michael Contreras
“It was not only broken in half, but it was also broken in pieces. When I went the handlebar at that side, piece of the bike that way, the front wheel from the vehicle broken off. My son’s helmet, original DOT, piece flew off his head. This morning, we were picking up some of the pieces. It is just sad to know, bikers are not respected.”
Micah had a passion for motorbikes and football, but he also loved being at school. Today, students from Sacred Heart College and several other schools gathered in front of his classroom for a heartfelt candlelight vigil. The school even postponed its sports day to honor his memory. We spoke with Ufemia Usher, the Vice Principal of Student Affairs, about this touching tribute.
Ufemia Usher
Ufemia Usher, V.P., Sacred Heart College
“The decision to hold a candlelight and a prayer service came from the students. Last night my email was flooded with messages coming from students all across from first to fourth form, cancelling sports day, having a mass, asking for prayer service. They wanted a moment of silence. They wanted to have something in honor of Micah.”
Candles and pictures of Micah were also placed on his desk inside the classroom.
Ufemia Usher
“I was very touched by the number of students who showed up this morning. Normally when activities are cancelled you wouldn’t see anyone here, but students were gathered form eight oclock this morning. They were waiting for us to have this prayer service, so it was very touching for me to see how much love the students have for each other.”
Micah Contreras
“Micah is very outgoing, very energetic. Micah loves to try new things. He is not scared of trying new things. Very caring and helping. He is the type of person if he sees somebody needs help, he will help. Sometimes he come home really happy. He is on the bus and say dad I just help this person, I feel so good about it and want to do it again.”
Tragically, one of the four people from Caye Caulker who were seriously injured in a van accident last Friday passed away this morning in Belize City. Alex Bainton died just as he was about to undergo a CT scan at the K.H.M.H. Meanwhile, a teacher who was also in the van is in Guatemala with severe spinal injuries. On a brighter note, a third student who was in an induced coma is showing signs of improvement, and the fourth student, who also suffered serious injuries, is reportedly on the mend. News Five’s Marion Ali was in Caye Caulker today and has more on this story.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The student body at Ocean Academy High School in Caye Caulker is in shock and mourning today after the tragic death of their peer, eighteen-year-old Alex Bainton. He succumbed to severe head trauma from a horrific traffic accident on the Philip Goldson Highway last Friday evening. The team was on their way to Orange Walk for a basketball game when the accident happened. While the family and school authorities were unavailable for interviews, News Five spoke with Caye Caulker Chairlady, Seleny Villanueva Pott. She has been in close contact with Alex’s family and the high school. She shared that the news of his passing has deeply shaken the students, many of whom needed support this morning.
Seleny Villanueva Pott
Seleny Villanueva Pott, Chairlady, Caye Caulker
“We later found out that several students had to be taken over to the community centre. A couple of them had passed out, a couple of them had breathing issues. It’s just the heaviness of the news losing a teammate, a classmate. The past couple of days have been really hard and I believe the pressure of the news they couldn’t bear.”
Villanuella Pott encourages everyone to reach out to her via Fecebook Messenger if you wish to assist the survivors of the accident or Bainton’s family who must now lay him to rest and still pay a huge medical bill. On Wednesday night, the Caye Caulker community came together for a heartfelt prayer vigil, walking through the streets in support of the four accident victims. This close-knit community has been rallying around the Bainton family and the other victims, showing incredible solidarity since the tragic incident. Businesswoman Lee Vanderwalker is spearheading a fundraising effort to help cover funeral costs and provide support to the victims.
Lee Vanderwalker
Lee Vanderwalker, Fundraiser Director
“We’ve been able to raise enough funds to get the initial medical care started and some of the students who were hospitalized in Orange Walk, most of them have been able to go home. However, there are ongoing issues with them with broken bones and other things that are coming up as a result of the accident. We’ve been able to get Mr. Zuniga medivacced to Guatemala City for his spinal surgery because he’s paralyzed. It’s affecting his breathing. And then initially, I believe that several of the worst cases were taken to Healthcare Partners and Medical Associates, and then they were moved to K.H.M.H. So there are still a lot of outstanding bills, even though we’ve raised a considerable amount of money, we need to raise more.”
Ocean Academy, the high school where Bainton attended classes, as well as Anda De Wata Tours, where he worked in his spare time, have issued press releases since his passing. The tour company said Bainton was more than just the youngest member of their dive team, he was a hero in the making, with an unshakable passion for sea life, a tireless work ethic, and a character marked by integrity and kindness. Ocean Academy’s release states that Bainton, who was known by his friends as “footy”, radiated light, love, kindness and joy to everyone he knew, and he filled every room with his bright smile and positive energy. He was awarded one of the school’s most prestigious annual awards, the Ka’Ana OA Outstanding Student Award, for exceptional, positive, and resilient leadership on campus. Marion Ali for News Five.
Anyone who would like to help the injured or Bainton’s family can make donations in Caye Caulker to Atlantic Bank account: 100 073 949. They can also make donations to Atlantic Bank account in the name of Ocean Academy High School. That account number is: 100 299 151. International donors can help through Paypal at: www.paypal.com/np/ncp/payment/NMPUE4UU45KV4
A coast guard sailor is in an induced coma at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital after a motorcycle accident on the George Price Highway on November thirtieth. Gianna Vanegas was riding alone towards the Westar Service Station when the accident happened. The seaman apprentice, who was off duty at the time, was seriously injured and rushed to Belize City for emergency treatment. While she remains unconscious, her current condition is unknown. Earlier today, News Five spoke with Acting Vice Commandant Alma Pinelo about the incident.
Alma Pinelo
Lt. Cmdr. Alma Pinelo, Belize Coast Guard
“What we understood was that she was on a motorcycle on her own. She had left home, and she was going towards the direction of Westar Gas Station and somewhere in that vicinity is where the accident happened.”
Isani Cayetano
“What is her present condition?”
Alma Pinelo
“It is a bit sensitive, but what we know is that from the onset when she was transported from between the area of the accident and Western Region, she had to be induced into coma due to the state of the accident. What we know is that she was put into a coma to be transported over to the KHMH which she has been there since early Saturday morning, and she also had a broken arm.”
Isani Cayetano
“This accident happened while, presumably, she was off duty?”
Alma Pinelo
“Yes, she had just come in from patrol, actually, so she was on her stand down. She had come in from Consejo maybe about three or four days before that and so she was on her relaxed down time at home.”
Isani Cayetano
“What can you tell us about Ms. Venegas, in terms of her service here at the Belize Coast Guard?”
Alma Pinelo
“She recently joined with Intake Eleven, so she has been in the coast guard now for a year. This December makes a year since our Intake Eleven has been in the coast guard. She has been a part of the fleet, so in operation, she has been very active, actually, both in operations and in athleticism.”
