The Government of Belize is set to lose access to a five-year, US$125 million development grant from the United States following the sudden decision by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to shut down the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a major U.S. foreign aid agency.
The MCC had signed the grant agreement with Belize just seven months ago, in September 2024, marking a historic investment in the country’s education and energy sectors. The agreement was signed by Prime Minister John Briceño and MCC CEO Alice Albright and attended by U.S. Ambassador Michelle Kwan and Minister of State Christopher Coye.
Now, with the agency slated for closure, the future of the Belize Compact — which included transformative projects to expand access to education and reduce electricity costs — hangs in the balance. The new MCC-funded implementing agency, Millennium Challenge Account-Belize, was scheduled to begin project rollout in 2025.
An internal MCC email this week confirmed that the agency’s 320 employees have been offered early retirement or deferred resignations, with operations winding down within 90 days. DOGE is expected to present a resolution next week to formally terminate MCC’s global grant programmes, affecting 20 countries with over $5.4 billion in active funding.
The closure is part of a broader push by the Trump administration and DOGE head Elon Musk to dismantle select government agencies. Though Musk has announced plans to step down, DOGE continues its efforts to cut back U.S. foreign aid programs.
MCC’s compact with Belize aimed to reduce poverty by improving technical education and modernising the power grid with lower-cost renewable energy. Now, without the U.S. partnership, these long-planned initiatives face indefinite delays or cancellation.
Tropic Air announced that Captain Howell Grange has been discharged from medical care and is now resting and recovering at home. The airline expressed deep gratitude for the strength of its team and the support from the community during this challenging time.
In a statement, Tropic Air stressed its commitment to prioritising the well-being of all those affected by recent events. The airline is implementing enhanced security protocols and reviewing long-term safety procedures to ensure the continued safety of passengers, crew, and staff. Tropic Air CEO Maximiliano Greif assured that updates on these measures will be provided once fully in place.
The announcement comes in the wake of a terrifying mid-air ordeal over Belize, where American hijacker Akinyela Sawa Taylor was shot and killed by a passenger after hijacking a Tropic Air flight and stabbing three people.
Taylor, a U.S. military veteran and father of four, had arrived in Belize just nine days prior, on April 8, via an American Airlines flight from Miami, Florida.
In the days leading up to the attack, Taylor was involved in several troubling incidents. He caused a disturbance at the Philip Goldson International Airport when he attempted to board a United Airlines flight to the U.S. without a ticket, prompting security to remove him. On April 12, he tried to enter Chetumal, Mexico, via the Santa Elena Border but was denied by Mexican authorities and then refused re-entry into Belize. Taylor later surfaced in the Corozal Free Zone, where he reportedly spent the night in an abandoned building.
He was confronted by Corozal police and Free Zone security, during which he allegedly assaulted a police officer. Although initially detained, Taylor was released.
The first and only Major League Baseball player born in Belize, Chito Martinez, died at the age of 59. His death was confirmed by the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday, 22 April, in a tribute posted on social media.
“We mourn the passing of former Orioles outfielder Chito Martinez, the only native of Belize to play in the majors,” the team wrote.
Martinez passed away on Sunday following a heart attack in Lake Cormorant, Mississippi. An official cause of death has not yet been released, but he had recently undergone several hospitalisations, according to a GoFundMe page set up to support his family.
Martinez moved to New Orleans when he was two years old and became a baseball standout at Brother Martin High School. Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 1984, he later joined the Orioles, making his MLB debut in 1991. He played three seasons with the club, batting .259 with 18 home runs.
His younger brother, Robbie Martinez, told Crescent City Sports, “They called Chito ‘Mex’ and called me ‘Little Mex.’ He introduced me to baseball. I worshipped those guys in 1983 and 1984 at Brother Martin. Even more, he taught me about life, about how to be a dad, about golf, above and beyond baseball.”
Chito’s high school coach, Barry Hebert, praised him as “a once-in-a-lifetime young man to coach. He led by example.”
Martinez is survived by his wife Millie, three children, and extended family. A funeral service will be held Friday, April 25, at Coleman Funeral Home in Southaven, Mississippi.
On April 17, 2025, a routine Tropic Air flight from Corozal to San Pedro turned into a terrifying ordeal when 49-year-old American citizen and military veteran Akinyela Sawa Taylor hijacked the aircraft mid-flight. Armed with a knife, Taylor stabbed two passengers and the pilot, demanding the plane be diverted out of Belize. The incident ended when a passenger, licensed to carry a firearm, fatally shot Taylor, allowing the plane to land safely in Ladyville.
Among the passengers was Armin Burgos, who shared his firsthand account exclusively with News Five. Initially, Burgos mistook the commotion for a simple altercation: “All of a sudden, like two, three minutes after when we were in the air, I heard a lady shouting, ‘Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!’ So I thought they were fighting. I didn’t think anything.”
The situation escalated rapidly as Taylor confronted the pilot: “Then I saw the pilot; they’d like to turn back, and then [Taylor] told the pilot, ‘You’re not landing; you’re not turning back.’”
“He said, ‘Everybody go to the back.’ The guy that he stabbed, I saw him… Then I saw the whole thing, that he was stabbing the guy… So then I got a little frightened.”
Despite the danger, Burgos attempted to contact authorities:
“I tried to call police. But I called 911, and there was no answer. So I called one of my cousins; he’s also a police officer. I told him that, you know, they’re having a stabbing on the plane. I didn’t even know that it was hijacked.”
“If Mr Brown didn’t try to help, he would’ve been dead because [Taylor] was stabbing him… Mr Brown was trying to stop him and hold him.”
The ordeal concluded when a passenger shot Taylor as the plane prepared to land. “That’s when the shot… and he shouted for somebody to come and help the white guy. So I went with my belt, and I tried to tie his hand.”
Authorities are investigating how Taylor, previously denied entry into Belize, managed to board the flight with a concealed weapon. The U.S. Embassy in Belize is assisting with the investigation.
The Football Federation of Belize (FFB) has kicked off Project Mexico-Belize, an initiative aimed at strengthening the Senior Men’s National Football Team ahead of June’s World Cup Qualifiers.
Belize will face Montserrat on June 4 and Panama at home on June 7 in Belmopan.
Leading the project is veteran football professional Daniel Bartolotta, who will serve as senior advisor. He’ll be supported by Diego Bartolotta, Enrique Meza Jr., and coach Enrique Meza Sr., all bringing international experience to help boost both the team and local coaching talent.
The support team’s involvement comes at no cost to the FFB.
The initiative includes a full-time player training camp with weekly stipends, fitness and nutrition support, and mental wellness services. It also offers Belizean coaches mentorship opportunities from seasoned international staff.
FFB President Sergio Chuc said the project is about more than this year’s qualifiers—it’s about building the future of football in Belize. With over $300,000 BZD invested, Project Mexico-Belize represents a major step forward for the national programme, combining global expertise with local development.
A major fire that erupted near the San Ignacio Transfer Station on Monday morning burnt for over a day. It threatened key infrastructure and prompted a large-scale emergency response.
Officials from the Belize Solid Waste Management Authority (BSWaMA) have since confirmed that the fire is now under control and is expected to be fully extinguished by tonight.
The fire, which began in nearby brush around mid-morning on April 21, is believed to have been deliberately set. A person was reportedly seen in the area just minutes before the blaze ignited. Carried by strong winds, embers quickly spread into the transfer station compound, setting waste ablaze and endangering nearby buildings.
Security on site promptly alerted Station Supervisor Oleny Suntecum, triggering a rapid response by the San Ignacio Fire Department. Despite initial challenges due to persistent winds, coordinated efforts by the National Fire Service, the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing (MIDH), Belize Roadway Construction, the San Ignacio/Santa Elena Town Council, and the Benque Viejo Town Council helped bring the fire under control.
Rojelio Pop, BSWaMA’s Operations Manager, reported that the priority shifted from containing the flames to protecting the facility’s buildings. “We created a buffer zone 15 to 20 feet away from the buildings to prevent damage,” Pop said. “With support from MIDH and private water suppliers, we managed continuous firefighting efforts using three fire trucks.”
The fire also raised serious concerns about public safety and the dangers of unauthorised outdoor burning.
While there are no nearby residential communities and the smoke is drifting towards the hills, the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Solid Waste Management is urging the public to avoid setting fires near waste facilities, homes, or vegetated areas and to report any suspicious activity.
Global markets surged after US President Donald Trump signalled a softer approach on trade tariffs and confirmed he has “no intention of firing” Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, BBC reported.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said tariffs on Chinese imports would “come down substantially, but it won’t be zero”. He also described future talks with China as “very nice” in tone. This has raised hopes of progress in the long-running trade dispute.
The president’s comments mark a shift from his previous confrontational stance. Trump had imposed tariffs as high as 145% on Chinese goods in a bid to bring jobs back to the US. But with reciprocal action from Beijing and economic uncertainty mounting, markets welcomed signs of a thaw.
Asian stock indexes reacted positively, with Japan’s Nikkei up 1.9% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rising 2.2%. US markets also rallied, with the S&P 500 climbing 2.5% on Tuesday.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned this week that global growth is slowing due to tariff uncertainty. China has yet to officially respond, but state media suggested the US may now realise the damage caused by the trade war.
Tonight, we hear from Armin Burgos, a primary school teacher from Libertad Village, who was one of the passengers on Thursday’s hijacked Tropic Air flight to San Pedro. Burgos had booked the flight to handle some personal matters, but shortly after takeoff, he and the other thirteen passengers found themselves in a terrifying situation. Forty-nine-year-old U.S. national Akinyela Taylor hijacked the plane at knifepoint, demanding the pilot change course to the U.S. Among the passengers was an infant, who happened to be one of Burgos’ former students. Burgos told us that his main priority during the ordeal was to protect the child. He also shared details about what happened during the flight and the moment a passenger shot Taylor when the plane landed at Philip Goldson International Airport. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
When forty-nine-year-old U.S. national Akinyela Taylor hijacked a Tropic Air flight on Thursday morning, just after it took off from Ranchito Airstrip in Corozal, primary school teacher Armin Burgos was among the passengers.
Armin Burgos
Armin Burgos, Passenger on Hijacked Plane
“A little bit after eight ten, it was boarding time, so we went. And the guy from Tropic told me to go to the front and I said I wanted to jump out first, so I sat on the last single seat to the back. I saw Mr. Brown, going to the front, where I was suppose to be seated. I felt a little bad, because he was an older guy. He went and sit right beside the guy that hijacked the plane.”
Taylor was seated in the first row on a double seat next to Fitzgerald Brown, while Franchesco Castaneda was on a single seat beside them. According to the flight manifest, the plane was supposed to reach the island twenty minutes after takeoff. Burgos recalls that just two minutes into the flight, he heard a commotion at the front of the aircraft and saw Taylor stabbing Castaneda.
Armin Burgos
“So I tried to call police, but I called 911 and no answer. So I called one of my cousin and I told him that they are having stabbing on the plane. Then he said, you don’t want me in your eff country, you will take me back to the U.S. then things got serious. He told me don’t turn back, just go. After everything I reached to a conclusion that he thought that Mr. Casteneda was an air marshal. That is why. At no time did he want to attack any of the passengers, only he was attacked. During the attack, Mr. Brown was trying to stop him and hold him, because Mr. Brown was between the two of them. I believe he (Castaneda) did not get stabbed completely. I believe that if Mr. Brown was not there to help, he would have been dead.”
According to Burgos, Taylor ordered all fourteen passengers to move to the back of the plane, and everyone complied. Burgos realized the plane was being hijacked when Taylor demanded the pilot change course to the U.S. Burgos tried to contact authorities on the ground using his cellphone but stopped communicating after receiving a request he felt he couldn’t fulfill.
Armin Burgos
“He asked me if I would give the guy my phone, if he would be able to talk. I said, if he is not fooling with me why would I go and fool around with him. I cut all communication. I didn’t even answer anymore communication with the police. I said, they cant help me at this moment. So, I began thinking about what I was going to do. Nobody was talking.”
Burgos says that while the passengers were huddled at the back of the plane, Taylor and the pilot, Howell Grange, were constantly talking. An American passenger took off his shirt to help Castaneda with his wounds and used his belt to wrap Brown’s injury. The flight remained in the air for nearly two hours.
Armin Burgos
“During that time, after some time circling, the pilot said, prepare we are going to the U.S.”
Paul Lopez
“What did you think at that point?”
Armin Burgos
“I said, it would be worse, because they will shoot us down.”
And then, Burgos began formulating a plan for himself and the other passengers to launch a defense in the event Taylor turned his focus towards them.
Armin Burgos
“When the guy took off his belt to help Mr. Brown, I took off mine and said I am going to choke him if he comes around. I told everyone in the back to grab your bag and try to protect yourself. I took the first aid kit and there was an ex BDF in there and I said, he should be strong, so I gave him the first aid kit, because it was out of metal.”
Paul Lopez
“How would you describe Mr. Taylor’s demeanor throughout the entire ordeal?”
Armin Burgos
“He was mad, he was really mad and angry and serious. But at no time he looked at us and said nothing. I knew he did not want us to get hurt. He told the pilot I want them to land safe.”
Fuel depletion was a major worry for everyone on board and the authorities on the ground. Burgos started coaching the infant on what to do if the plane crash landed in water. Everyone was bracing for the worst. Burgos also saw Fitzgerald Brown place a firearm in one of the chair’s back pockets while the plane was still in the air. After some time, the plane landed at Philip Goldson International Airport. That’s when Taylor stabbed the pilot, and Brown shot Taylor.
Armin Burgos
“I saw Mr. Brown got up. I didn’t see how he grabbed the gun and a huge tall white guy was there and I saw him leaned over the chair and grabbed him and that is when the shot went off and he shouted for somebody to come and help. I went with my belt and tried to tie his hand. I only tied one. Mister Brown and the white guy was holding him. He was already shot but still moving. I saw he stabbed Mr. Brown once more. So I said, somebody stop the plane, it was rolling. Everybody was trying to jump out and the BDF guy just threw himself in between the pilot and all of us, Mr. Brown, the white guy and Mr. Taylor. And he stopped the plane.”
Taylor died shortly after the incident. Injured passengers were taken for medical treatment. Burgos shared that he spoke with a therapist over the weekend due to experiencing anxiety attacks following the hijacking.
Armin Burgos
“Immediately after that I stayed in shock. I could not talk. My breath was short. All I could recall, I asked for my belt and the police brought my belt. I thought I could get through it by myself, but I seek help. A counselor offered her service and I didn’t think I needed it. Knowing myself I didn’t think I need it, but after getting help it helped me a lot.”
Three people were injured in the terrifying plane hijacking incident that occurred last Thursday. Fortunately, no passengers were fatally wounded, and the three men who were stabbed in the incident are in stable condition. According to authorities, passengers Jair Castaneda and Fitzgerald Brown have been released, while pilot Howell Grange remains hospitalized. When the plane finally landed at the Philip Goldson International Airport, hijacker Akinyela Taylor was fatally shot by one of the passengers, who was armed with a licensed gun. Today, we asked Commissioner of Police, Chester William’s if authorities are considering levying charges against the shooter for Taylor’s death. Here’s what he had to say.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“That is not something that is going to be decided by the police. But I can tell you from a legal standpoint looking at section thirty of the criminal court, which deals with just abuse of force and harm, it says that a person may use force even to the extreme necessity to kill in certain circumstances. And those circumstances include where it is perceived that one is going to cause grievous by the harm to another or. Even greater than that. And the force use can be either in defense of yourself or another person concern situation that confront those persons on board, that flight where the lives of fourteen of fifteen other persons were in danger by a knife-wielding man who had injured three persons on board that flight. It would be reasonable to say that he tforce use was justified. And so what we are going to do is put the file together and we send to the DPP for final determination.”
Prior to the hijacking of the plane, Akinyela Taylor was involved in several concerning incidents that attracted the police’s attention. Earlier this month, Taylor caused a disturbance at the Philip Goldson International Airport when he attempted to board a United Airlines flight to the U.S. without a ticket, prompting security to remove him. After the incident, Taylor tried to enter Mexico but was denied entry there and back into Belize. Police later found him hiding in an abandoned building in the Corozal Free Zone. Officers confronted him but released him, which has raised concerns among the public about whether the hijacking could have been prevented if Taylor had been detained. Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, responded to that criticism earlier today.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Taylor first arriving to the country through the Philip Goldson International Airport. He subsequently left the country and may have gone over to the Mexican side. Apparently when he went to Mexico, he did not pass for immigration, so there was no stump. From immigration to show that he had gone over to Mexico and vice versa, from Mexico coming back into Belize. And so based on that, immigration had denied him entry into the country at the northern border. In a situation like that, where a person is refused entry, what happens is that person is sent back to where they’re coming from. If it was a situation where they were coming through the PGIA, what immigration would do, they would issue an RLL- refuse leave to land. You would then be put on a next flight back out of the country. In this case, it’s a land border. So what happens is that he’s not allowed entry. So he went back over to the Mexican side. I think sometime on Sunday, not Sunday, I think perhaps Wednesday night he was seen in the free zone again, to be in a free zone. If you’re coming from Mexico, you don’t pass through immigration. You would know the immigration station is after free zone. So once you are a tourist from Mexico or whatever, you can have access to the free zone without immigration authorization. So he was found there. The matter was reported to Mr. Rosado. Mr. Rosado had directed the police that there was no offense committed because he was in the free zone area and he would not have reached immigration. So not even an immigration offense would’ve been committed. And so based on that, he had said that the person did not commit any offense. And I totally agree with Mr. Rosado. And any detention then would’ve been an unlawful detention.”
