Revere Mayor Demands Transparency in Belize Resort Deaths

Mayor Patrick M. Keefe Jr., the mayor of Revere City, Massachusetts, issued a statement on Tuesday addressing the deaths of the three women found dead in their suite at the Royal Kahal Beach Resort in San Pedro on Saturday morning. He stated, “On behalf of the entire City of Revere, I extend my condolences to their families and loved ones during this time of unimaginable loss.”

The women, Kaoutar Naqqad, 23, Imane Mallah, 24, and Wafae El-Arar, 26, “were valued members of the Revere community,” he stated. “The information we have received thus far… leaves our grieving community with too many questions.”

Mayor Keefe Jr. added, “I have heard widespread concern from the families and community members about the lack of transparency in this investigation and the media narrative painted by Belizean authorities.” He went on to outline the Travel Avisory that the United States had labelled Belize with in December 2024, where it advised travellers to “exercise increased caution in Belize due to crime.”

The initial investigation in Belize revealed that the police are looking into a possible drug overdose after finding alcohol and gummies among the belongings of the women. “We’re not saying at this time that the gummies cause death, but we’re looking at every possibility,” said Chester Williams, the Commissioner of Police. The results of a postmortem examination is still pending. 

Meanwhile, Mayor Keefe confirmed he has been in contact with federal officials, including Senator Ed Markey and Whip Katherine Clark, and that they will “lockstep to bring answers to these families and their communities.”

“We will exhaust all avenues, both domestic and abroad, to ensure a proper and fair analysis of this case,” he said.