Suspicious Golf Cart Permits and Illicit ATM Operations at Caribi Bleu Casino in San Pedro

Following News Five’s previous explosive interview with San Pedro’s Mayor Wally Nunez about allegations of up to two hundred golf cart permits issued to Caribi Bleu Casino, News Five has uncovered new revelations, including video footage that raises further concerns about the casino’s operations. Our latest investigation has exposed that Caribi Bleu Casino may not only be involved in questionable golf cart permit dealings but is also illegally operating an ATM that dispenses U.S. currency without the necessary authorisation.

In our previous report, News Five challenged Mayor Nunez about the claims that Caribi Bleu had been granted an excessive number of golf cart permits. The mayor firmly denied the allegations, asserting that only twenty golf carts were approved for the casino as part of a renewal process for existing permits.

Today, we were given access to the San Pedro Town Council’s Vehicle Master List, which reveals a total of 14,467 registered vehicles on Ambergris Caye. However, the list only indicates the number of registered vehicles, not how many permits were issued. After a thorough search, we found that Caribi Bleu Casino had twenty golf carts registered under the name “Caribi Bleu Limited” as of May 28, 2024—confirming the mayor’s claim that the casino holds twenty permits.

Despite this, our investigation continues to raise questions. The Vehicle Master List does not show the full extent of permits granted to businesses, so we cannot yet confirm if additional permits were issued to Caribi Bleu outside of the official record. Furthermore, during a visit to the casino’s premises, News Five discovered multiple golf carts being stored in a neighbouring building currently under development. Although Caribi Bleu’s spokesperson denied that any golf carts were stored there, video footage from early October painted a different picture, showing several golf carts parked on the first floor of the building.

The most alarming revelation, however, involves an ATM inside Caribi Bleu Casino that dispenses U.S. dollars. Under Belize’s Exchange Control Regulations Act, any establishment dealing in foreign currency must be authorised by the Central Bank. In a covert operation, a bank card was used to withdraw funds from the casino’s ATM, which promptly dispensed two U.S. bills. Our investigation has confirmed that Caribi Bleu Casino does not have the necessary Central Bank authorisation for the ATM, violating both the Exchange Control Regulations Act and the Payment Systems Act, which requires a license for ATM operations. Failure to comply with these regulations could result in heavy fines, jail time, or administrative penalties.

Questions abound regarding the origins of the U.S. currency dispensed by the ATM and whether Caribi Bleu’s operations are being properly scrutinised by the authorities. Has the Gaming Control Board conducted adequate compliance checks? And are they ensuring that Caribi Bleu adheres to anti-money laundering regulations? These are just some of the questions that remain unanswered.

As we continue our investigation, the story of Caribi Bleu Casino and its potentially illegal activities is far from over. News Five will keep digging to uncover the full extent of these troubling developments.

Reporting by Paul Lopez, News Five