On July 26, 2024, NEMO, the Belize Defence Force (BDF), and the Coast Guard successfully completed the Agile Bear 2.0 training, a week-long program aimed at improving disaster response capabilities. The training, conducted in collaboration with Joint Task Force-Bravo (JTF-B), focused on advanced techniques such as Helo Casting and Drone Flying, enhancing the teams’ ability to perform rapid disaster response and surveillance in challenging environments.
Earlier in the week, on July 25, the partners continued their work on Operation Sentinel Watch, developing a Standard Operating Procedure for requesting assistance. This SOP is designed to align with JTF-B’s Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response framework.
The joint effort between NEMO, BDF, and the Coast Guard strengthens operational readiness and coordination, ensuring better preparedness for future emergencies. NEMO extends its gratitude to JTF-B and the US Army for their support in training first responders.
Convicted murderer Williams “Danny” Mason has been shuttling between the Belize Central Prison and the Belmopan High Court throughout this week. Mason and co-accused Ryan Rhaburn face charges of kidnapping businessman Lloyd Thiessen and his wife, Rosie, in May 2016 at Mason’s ranch near Mile thirty-one along the George Price Highway. The kidnapping allegedly stemmed from a business dispute; the couple had reportedly given Mason three hundred thousand dollars to import corn, which was never delivered. When the couple confronted Mason, the alleged kidnapping occurred. The trial, initially scheduled to begin in early July before Justice Francis Cumberbatch, was postponed to July eighteenth after Mason requested a change in venue. The trial resumed on Monday, and by Wednesday, the prosecution, led by Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl Lynn Vidal, had closed its case. On Thursday, the defense argued a no-case submission, claiming the prosecution had not provided sufficient evidence. This afternoon, Mason and Rhaburn appeared before Justice Cumberbatch, who ruled that there was indeed a case to answer. Consequently, the no-case submission was denied, and the trial will continue. Mason and Rhaburn are expected to testify next week. Following the ruling, Rhaburn’s attorney, Simeon Samson, provided a brief statement.
Simeon Samson
Simeon Samson, Attorney for Ryan Rhaburn
“At the end, the defense made its submission to the judge that the trial ought not to proceed because we thought there was insufficient evidence against my client. The judge has ruled against us. So, we proceed to trial on Monday morning, my client will take the stand.”
Attorney Orson Elrington, also known as O.J., has been committed to stand trial for the charge of rape following a preliminary inquiry held this morning in Belize City. On March eighth, Orson was charged with rape and granted bail of eight thousand dollars plus one surety. Elrington’s attorney, Hubert Elrington, is expected to challenge the decision in the High Court. Meanwhile, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl Lynn Vidal, says she looks forward to the defendant’s challenge in the high court.
Cheryl Lynn Vidal
Cheryl Lynn Vidal, Director of Public Prosecutions
“I really don’t want to go into the facts of the case but this report was made some days after the incident. And so by the time it had come to the attention of the police, it really would not have made much sense.We didn’t think that there was any likelihood that he would not have been committed to stand trial.”
Reporter
“He said that his rights were breached because you overstepped the boundaries of your office to actually make calls and speak with his accusers. What would you say in response to that? Did you overstep the boundaries?”
Cheryl Lynn Vidal
“I most certainly did not. And I would imagine that that is an issue that will be addressed at the High Court. I look forward to it.”
Hubert Elrington
Hubert Elrington, Attorney for Orson Elrington
“Well, I don’t think the learned magistrate even understood what we were trying to say to her. I, I think that this was one of these situations in which we made a submission which the learned magistrate simply did not understand. Because nothing that she has said makes any sense to me.”
Reporter
“So what happens next?”
Hubert Elrington
“Well, we’ll take the matter to the High Court. The D.P.P. has brought a case, right? And her first duty is to show that there is a difference between a crime and a non-crime. And the magistrate must look at it and says, if the evidence discloses a crime or the evidence discloses a non-crime, but she doesn’t even understand that that is the duty. So where do you go? You have to go to the high court.”
Cotton Tree Village resident thirty-two-year-old Andrew Muns is dead. He succumbed to injuries he sustained eighteen days after he was shot while socialising in the village. That same shooting incident claimed the life of another man, thirty-nine-year-old Clint Castillo. Muns had been hospitalised since the day of the shooting, paralysed from the neck down and in an induced coma. To date, police have arrested and charged twenty-two-year-old Jamal Hyde with the crime of abetment to commit murder in relation to the shooting incident. The main suspect remains at large. He will face two counts of murder when he is captured. Muns’ family says his killer was a close family friend. They believe he has fled across the border into Guatemala. We spoke with one relative off-camera.
Voice of: Relative of Deceased
Voice of: Relative of Deceased
“Immediately after the shooting he was unable to move anything from the neck down. Someone transported him in the back of a truck to the hospital. In the hospital he never seemed to improve. He only worsened. He did have an infection and they were trying to find the right antibiotics to treat it. Then they also found out he had pneumonia. Day before yesterday his Common-Law-Wife has come in and said his blood pressure was really low. I thought to myself it’s not a good thing that they can’t get it up and then he just succumbed to it.”
Paul Lopez
“What update has the family received in terms of the pursuit of the other guy, the one believed to have pulled the trigger?”
Voice of: Relative of Deceased
“As far as I know there is no new information on where Akeem Richardson is. We know that police haven’t been able to locate him or any good tips on where he might be. So I am not sure.”
Paul Lopez
“How adamant is the family in being behind the family to ensure that this guy caught and Justice is served.”
Voice of: Relative of Deceased “Oh, everyone is waiting for this guy to be caught and pay the consequences or at least explain himself. It is a small village and all three of the people, Clint, Akeem and Jesus were good friends for years off and on. It was surprising that it happened, that Akeem did this allegedly, because he was around almost daily and Jesus and Clint as well. Clint not as much but Jesus for sure.”
Tonight, San Ignacio resident Gerson Guerra is a free man after accepting a plea deal. Guerra was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and use of deadly means of harm after wounding his then, partner, Zuemy Tzalam on her throat with a knife. Reports are that on February twenty-fourth, 2020, Guerra entered the home of Tzalam with the key he was in possession of and engaged in an altercation with Tzalam, resulting in him pushing and wounding her. Guerra avoided a prison sentence after taking a plea deal negotiated under the new legislation in the Criminal Procedure (Plea Discussion and Agreement) Act. Under this bargain, Guerra was sentenced to pay the court a fine of one thousand five hundred dollars over the course of twelve months and two thousand dollars to be paid to the victim over a two-year period. Additionally, Guerra will undergo five anger management sessions within the next twelve months. Attorney Erin Quiros represented Guerra.
Erin Quiros
Erin Quiros, Attorney at Law
“So he was accused with attempted murder and deadly means of harm. And with the passing of the act, he was able to plead to the lesser charge and fortunately, we were also able to agree. The prosecution and I were able to agree to a non-custodial sentence given the circumstances, given his circumstances. A lot of factors were taken into consideration. The fact that he has gainful employment, he has a daughter that he is currently maintaining, that was a major factor for the court. So he’s been ordered to pay a fine and been ordered to go to anger management courses. And of course, in the fault of that, he would suffer incarceration. But yeah, that is what it has.”
Reporter
“So the fine was fifteen hundred and also two thousand ordered compensation to the victim. Is this in line with other cases that have been decided along these lines?”
Erin Quiros
“Yes, it is. This is not an unusual order of the court. There have been circumstances prior to this, where a court has ordered a fine not only to the government, but also to the victims, right? So this is not something unusual. It just opens the door in relation to pleading to lesser offenses and coming to that agreement. Instead of going through a lengthy trial, the parties are able to do that and save time and save court resources.”
Reporter
“The judge mentioned that there is a level of prevalence to this kind of crime. As an attorney, I’m sure you’re exposed to that sort of thing. Do you think the fine for the particular situation was adequate?”
Erin Quiros
“I believe that it was. I believe that it was. I remember this is not something that the accused proposed. It was something that was agreed along with the prosecution. And we both were of the opinion that this was an adequate sentence and the court agreed.”
As we mentioned, Guerra utilised the Plea Discussion and Agreement Act to negotiate with the prosecution for a lighter sentence. This case marks the first instance of a defendant employing this legislation to propose alternative sentences and charges. Guerra, with the assistance of his representative, Erin Quiros, initiated a novel plea deal under this act. We spoke with Quiros after the trial to learn more about the implications of this new legislation.
Erin Quiros
Erin Quiros, Attorney at Law
“So today was the hearing a hearing first of its kind. Actually, it was the hearing off a plea agreement that was entered into between the prosecution and the accused. This hearing was made possible because of an act that was recently passed in June of this year. The criminal procedure plea discussions and plea agreement act was passed. And that act really provides an opportunity. I think it’s a good opportunity for the prosecution and an accused person to enter into discussions in order to maybe suggest alternate sentences, alternate charges, reduced charges. So parties are able to enter into discussions prior to trial to assist accused. The passing of the act really has assisted him and we’re hoping it will continue to assist other accused persons. Not only that, the benefits are to the court as well. The court indicated during the hearing while giving its judgment that the act has provided circumstances where there will be an alleviation of the backlog of cases that are currently before the court, thankfully. And really there, it’s not in every circumstance that a charge that has a custodial sentence should, the accused should be incarcerated. So this passing of that has allowed that to happen in this particular instance and it could possibly open the door for other accused persons.”
This evening, Ormencia Pou-Swift, her mother Irene Budd, and her brother Aaron Fuentes were shuttled to the Belize Central Prison. All three were found guilty of grievous harm by a jury in April. Pou-Swift and Budd each received an additional two-year prison term from the date of conviction. Fuentes, who had already served nearly two years on remand, was released due to time served after a two-year reduction for mitigating factors. The court considered the serious injuries inflicted on the victim, Gilbert Blair, who lost vision in one eye and sustained severe injuries from a machete attack. The assault, which occurred on September fourth, 2011, was described as brutal and premeditated, with the attackers identified by Blair.
Doris Grant appeared in court today for her theft case. Grant, who is sitting at the Belize Central Prison under the S.O.E., is expected to return to court on August sixteenth, when she will be provided with disclosure. On May twentieth, Grant was arraigned on forty counts, including obtaining property by deception, money transfer fraud, and theft exceeding one hundred and twenty-one thousand dollars. She was granted bail in the amount of fifty thousand dollars, or one surety of the same. No plea was entered at her initial arraignment. However, on June twentieth, Grant faced additional charges of being a gang member, just a week after being shot and injured. The police allege that Grant is a member of the Southside Gang. Today marks twenty-nine days since their detention under the State of Emergency and thirty-five days since their initial remand.
On Thursday, we brought you an interview with the U.S. State Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Eric Jacobstein. The U.S. official met this week with the Belizean and Guatemalan ministers of government to discuss matters of regional and national concern. Regional migration is an issue that has posed major challenges for countries to combat, and while Belize and the other countries have their own shortcomings, Jacobstein told News Five that Nicaragua is the most problematic to deal with.
Eric Jacobstein, Dep. Asst. Sec., Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S State Dept.
“Nicaragua is a major challenge for us. Nicaragua is a country – the Ortega/ Murrillo regime has – essentially continues to pray off vulnerable migrants. So that is a major concern. We’ve particularly been concerned by charter flights, charter airlines who are essentially allowing individuals to come in. They pay for visa, and then they continue their journey north. So in response, the Biden/Harris administration has taken major steps, including the State Department. We have a new policy in which we have revoked visas for executives of certain charter airlines who are clearly profiting off vulnerable migrants.”
Another hot-button topic in the region is gangs. Belize already has a multitude of gangs across the country, and just over two months ago, Mexican cartel members staged an uprising in the southern Quintana Roo area, and reports were that it spilled into Belize’s Corozal Free Zone. It prompted Belizean law enforcement authorities to assign special teams in northern Belize to ensure Belizeans’ safety. At home, there’s also been the infiltration of M.S.-thirteen gang members in the Salvapan area of Belmopan. Jacobstein said that the key to preventing furtherance of gang activity is to engage the youths in alternative choices.
Eric Jacobstein
Eric Jacobstein, Dep. Asst. Sec., Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S State Dept.
“Gang violence, cartel violence have caused generational trauma throughout the region. And it’s something that is a top focus for us whether it’s in Mexico, Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras. So yes, we absolutely provide support to Belize and other countries in the region in this space. We will continue to do so because we feel that there’s two areas on enforcement that’s critical, and prevention is also very important in order to ensure that individuals don’t join gangs in the first place. So we provide assistance to deal with citizen security itself, but also prevention to work with youth to provide them viable alternatives to joining gangs. So this is at the top of our mind for us in Central America – a key part of our root causes strategy and we’ll continue to focus on it.”
