2025-03-28 - Channel 5 Belize

Coast Guard Women’s Team are This Year’s Wonder Women

What began as a friendly fitness competition among women’s teams from the Belize Police Department, the Belize Defense Force, and the Belize Coast Guard wrapped up this afternoon with the Belize Coast Guard team claiming bragging rights. Since Wednesday, the women have been competing in six different fitness challenges, all scored by a points system. News Five’s Marion Ali has the final scores.

Marion Ali, Reporting

The Coast Guard team of eight women has earned the bragging rights at the 2025 Wonder Women competition. Over the past few days, from Wednesday to today, they tackled and conquered six different fitness challenges. It wasn’t an easy feat, but their hard work and determination paid off.

Petty Officer Diana Velasquez, Belize Coast Guard Team Captain

“Two weeks before this event, one of my strong swimmers got malaria, so she was completely out. We had to take her out. Then Sunday before this weekend, another strong member got dengue. So she was totally out. So we had to bring in a swimmer to replace her because it had to be eight per team, so we had to bring in a swimmer to replace her, but this person didn’t train at all, so she was just brought in just to specifically do the swim run. Apart from that, one of my other strong six went and pull her hamstring, so she totally couldn’t do all of the events. We just brought her in for this morning’s march on shoot because our other team member was injured from during the training.”

Rear Admiral Elton Bennett, Commandant, Belize Coast Guard

“It was an amazing event, amazing. The past three days have been nothing but remarkable. The women across the security services really came out and did their best. They did their all. You can hear the noise; you can feel energy here at the Coast Guard headquarters. And every event was a challenge. The teams really gave it their all.”

The Coast Guard team racked up an impressive six hundred and seventy points over the past three days, narrowly beating the Belize Defense Force by just ten points. Both teams have every reason to feel incredibly proud of their efforts, including the BDF team trained by Major Roberta Usher.

Major Roberta Usher, B.D.F. Team Captain

“We did exceptionally well. We put the training in and we came out here and we performed to the best of our ability, and I’m proud of all of them.”

Marion Ali

“Can you share a little bit about the behind-the-scenes training? How long was it, what was the most challenging for you and maybe the kinks or the most difficult part over the three-day period here?”

Major Roberta Usher

“Well, training-wise, the girls have been together about two and a half months. I was currently working in the west at the battalion there, so I was not with them the entire time. Only when I was off then I had the opportunity to come train with them, but they were together twice a day training just basically the three days of events, over and over. I think every day produced its own challenges. Day one, we excelled on A.P.F.T. The swim is not our strong suit, but overall, I think the competition was really close this year with everybody. We were neck and neck everyday with the Coast Guard.”

Brigadier General Azariel Loria, Commander, B.D.F.

“It’s not something easy. It’s something grueling and it takes a lot from our women. I’m very proud of what they did, but we must do better and what this event in particularly enforces in us it in camaraderie.”

Interestingly, Roberta Usher’s sister, Jane Usher, trained the Belize Police Department’s team. Despite the competition, it didn’t affect their sisterly bond one bit.

A.S.P Jane Usher, Director of Training, Police Team

“We each go hard for our own teams. We will put our best out there – everything on the line for our team. But at the end of the day, we will cheer each other, we will support each other. We have the benefit of training together. I don’t want to say that she gave away B.D.F secrets or anything like that. She certainly did not, but she definitely supported me in helping me to prepare a training schedule because we’re not really that experienced in this competition. So it’s definitely to our advantage and the friendly rivalry, the competition, the training partner, the support, having someone out there pushing you, even from the other team, it’s very motivational.”

Corporal Jennifer Linares shared that it took more than eight weeks of intense training to get ready for the competition.

Cpl. Jennifer Linares, Captain, Team Police

“We try to do our personal workout, but then afterwards we did this for 10 weeks before the competition. They give us the time so that we can train and be part of this competition.”

The Police team got five hundred and sixty points over the three days of competition. News Five will present a documentary on the event shorty. Marion Ali for News Five.

Grace The Tapir Settling Into New Home At the Belize Zoo

The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center has a delightful new addition. Meet Grace, a one-month-old Tapir calf who was separated from her mother during a wildfire in La Gracia. A local farmer found her and brought her to safety. After a week of care at the Belize Wildlife and Referral Clinic, Grace is now in quarantine at the Belize Zoo. She’s set to make her grand debut on International Tapir Day in April. Today, we got an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the zoo to see what’s next for Grace. Here’s News Five’s Paul Lopez with the story.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

“Today we are at the Belize Zoo to me one of its newest members, a tapir calf named Grace. Grace was rescued in the La Gracia Community. Reports are that she was separated from her mother because of wildfire.”

Newborn tapirs sport a cute brown coat adorned with white spots and stripes. These markings act as natural camouflage, helping them blend into their surroundings and stay safe from predators. Over time, these spots and stripes gradually fade away, usually disappearing within five to six months. This is Grace’s makeshift habitat behind the scenes at the Belize Zoo, where only her. We arrived just in time to see Grace’s caretakers in action during her feeding time, a routine they follow every three hours, day and night. Grace eagerly drinks down two bottles of specially formulated milk at each feeding, ensuring she grows up healthy and strong. Doctor Celso Pott, the Managing Director at the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center, oversees her care.

Dr. Celso Poot, Managing Director, Belize Zoo

“You know that Tapir’s have a special place in our heart, in Belize’s heart. It is our national animal. April was in the house of many people, many kids came to the zoo to celebrate April Birthdays. So when we rescue a Tapir it is always a significant achievement for us. We have had two baby tapirs in the zoo before, so we have experience in raising tapir calf’s.”

Grace spent a week at the Belize Wildlife and Referral Clinic before moving to her new home at the zoo. As a young calf, she needs human care, which means she’ll form a close bond with her caregivers. This strong connection makes it challenging to return her to the wild.

Dr. Celso Poot

“Tapir’s stay with their spotted skins or marks for at least six months. They stay with their mom for a year or a year and a half learning how to be a tapir. So, when you have a calf like this coming to us at two weeks, a month old, we have to teach them. You just witnessed the bottle feeding. We use to bottle feed every two hours, now we are bottle feeding every three hours. It is half litter of milk replacers. So they become dependent on us and it is very unlikely that Grace would be released back into the wild.”

But there’s no need to worry. Grace is now part of a loving tapir family at the zoo. She gets all the care and attention she needs, including those essential tummy and back rubs after every feeding. These gentle strokes help Grace relax completely. She slowly folds her rear legs and then flops onto her side, enjoying the pure bliss of being pampered.

Dr. Celso Poot

“At this age she is doing very well, very healthy, very feisty. She is always looking out for the food she is getting, the milk replacer. We also provide her with little enrichments. So you have the balls in there that she could kick around, bounce around, provide her with light fruits. So she is doing very health, very highly likely that she will survive.”

Paul Lopez

“People may want to know, when they may be able to meet baby Grace?”

Dr. Celso Poot

“As with all animals we meet at the zoo, intakes, we have to make sure they pass the quarantine period, that they are healthy and going to survive. In terms of Grace we have a big day coming up, global Tapir day, April twenty-seventh, so hint, hint.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez

Kadejah Gentle – Her jabs are anything but!

This week, we step into the ring to explore the journey of Kadejah Gentle, a rising Belizean American MMA fighter who’s redefining what it means to fight with passion and perseverance. Determined to make a name for herself, Kadejah’s story is one of relentless drive, overcoming challenges, and breaking barriers in a sport where women are still fighting for equal recognition. From dreaming of WWE stardom to mastering MMA, she’s proving that strength and determination know no gender. Join Sabreena Daly for this week’s look On the Bright Side.

Sabreena Daly, Reporting

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is one of the toughest and most competitive combat sports out there. Unlike traditional fighting styles, MMA fighters need to master multiple disciplines, including striking arts like Muay Thai and boxing, grappling techniques from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling, and powerful moves from Judo and kickboxing. To reach the professional level, fighters need more than just raw talent—they need exceptional endurance, technical skill, and relentless discipline. In the ring, she’s known as Killer Kay, but her real name is Kadija Gentle, and her jabs are anything but gentle. This determined Belizean American MMA fighter is on a mission to make a name for herself in the sport. Living in the U.S., Kadija is driven by ambition and an unstoppable desire to leave her mark in the ring.

Kadejah Gentle, MMA Fighter

“I’m super passionate and although I’m at the point I’m at now, I feel like I got here way faster than expected. That just comes from my drive and my commitment to do better and be my best self in whatever I do. I would say another thing that drives me is just being an inspiration to people and just being a great role model, being a good person and being a great example especially because of where I come from. There are not a lot of outlets, especially being a woman, so that’s something that I really want to use my platform to shed some light on and show that we can do these things too. There are these people out here.”

Gentle originally dreamed of making it big in WWE—World Wrestling Entertainment. But her passion took a turn when she discovered other martial arts. Drawn to the intensity and discipline of combat sports, she switched her focus to MMA Fighting, pouring countless hours into perfecting her skills. Success in MMA takes more than just talent, it demands discipline, mental toughness, and relentless training. To compete at the highest level, Gentle endures grueling workouts she calls fight camp.

Kadejah Gentle

“Initially I started wrestling, and was working toward a childhood goal of mine to be a part of the WWE, to be a professional wrestler. Once I found they had wrestling in my highschool, i said okay all this is going to do is help me get to my goal. It ended up leading me to discover new things and new ambitions and new things I wanted to accomplish. So from there it just lead me to the path I’m on now. I always consider myself to be on what’s called a never ending camp, never ending fight camp. Because it’s something that I consider to be my career and what I want to be my career. I’m always training, I train six days a week. And leading up to a fight, it’s nonstop training for those six days. And the time off really from training is pretty much just a week. Sometimes we don’t even take that week off because we want to go back to the gym right away. You just want to get better. But the training camp is pretty much nonstop. And since I am working towards this goal, I’m just always in the gym, I’m just always training, always staying active. So I’m always on that path to being prepared and always prepared. And that’s just the mindset you have to carry, if you want to be at that high level.”

Women’s MMA in the U.S. and Belize are worlds apart. In the U.S., female fighters enjoy top-notch training facilities, plenty of media exposure, and increasing chances to compete internationally. On the other hand, MMA in Belize is still in its infancy, with limited resources, training centers, and media coverage. This makes it much tougher for aspiring fighters like Kadejah Gentle to make a name for themselves.

Kadejah Gentle

“There’s definitely, that number has definitely increased over time, from when I first started. Women being more exposed as not just like female athletes, but just as athletes, it shows that there’s a space for everyone in this and the women can be just as badass and just as dominant as the guys can, you know what I mean? Like there’s female alphas out there for sure and I feel like I’m one of them.”

Sabreena Daly

“As a female, do you still encounter challenges?”

Kadejah Gentle

“Oh yeah, for sure. Definitely being a female of a smaller stature, there’s definitely still that line that people try to cross. Like, let me see if I can try this type of thing. But once you’re assertive, and once you’re very comfortable in your skin and know who you are, and just stand 10 toes down, people respect that. So that gets cut out of the way very quickly. It’s something that you kind of get used to over time, unfortunately. But you just know how to handle those things once they do arise.”

Gentle, who proudly embraces her Belizean and Guatemalan roots while living in the US, is a shining example of women breaking barriers in MMA. With a fight record of 7-5, she has proven herself as a formidable competitor. Her impressive achievements include being a World Champion and a three-time National Champion, with titles such as the 2023 IKF Classic Champion, 2023 WKA National Champion, 2024 WKA National Champion, and 2024 IKF World Classic Champion. Gentle’s success demonstrates that women can excel in combat sports, challenging traditional gender norms and inspiring future generations to pursue their dreams without fear. Representation in MMA is vital—not just for visibility, but for empowering women to claim their space and show that strength and resilience have no gender boundaries.

Sabreena Daly

“What type of emotions do you feel when you’re in that ring? What goes through your head?”

Kadejah Gentle

“Oh, my gosh. Honestly, a lot of it is just muscle memory and reaction because it just feels like a blur most of the time because everything’s just like moving so fast-paced. But It’s like, you feel excitement, you feel nervous, you feel fear, you feel all these different things. But ultimately, it’s like, at the end, once you’re done and you’re accomplished, going through all those emotions, and even better, winning, it’s just a very satisfying feeling, accomplished feeling. But ultimately, you still know that there’s always more work to do. But in that moment, it’s just kind of like a sigh of relief.”

Looking on the Bright Side, I’m Sabreena Daly.

Fire Burns House in Belize City

A fire broke out this afternoon on Mayflower Street in Belize City. The fire destroyed a wooden and zinc structure. Shana Tillett, one of the residents, was notified of the fire while at work and returned to find her home burnt down.

Firefighters were seen on the grounds trying to control the fire.

The family suspects that the fire may have been accidentally set by a relative diagnosed with schizophrenia. According to Tillet, the family had taken him in in an effort to help him.

The family of more than six has lost everything in the blaze. Those wishing to assist can contact Shana Tillett at 602-4520.

More Details of Recent Drug Plane Landing, Including Info of 2 Police Officers Detained

Two police officers have been detained in connection to the recent drug plane landing in southern Belize.

As we reported, authorities discovered the remains of the drug plane, which was deliberately set on fire after landing on a makeshift airstrip in the remote Toledo District near the Guatemalan border. The aircraft, suspected of being involved in smuggling, landed earlier this week in the Graham Creek area. A village council official, we understand, is also being detained after communication equipment was found in the official’s residence.

Of the two police officers, we are told that one is attached to the Anti Narcotics Unit while the other is a sergeant in the Special Patrol Unit.

Commander of the Belize Defence Force Brigadier General Azariel Loria told News 5 that “It is a law enforcement activity. The Belize Defence Force is in support because of the type of assets that we have.” Loria added that they have secured the remnants of the plan. “There are a few more details that I cannot share with you at this point in time, and I would refer you to the police department when it comes to that,” he added.

“We need to do quite a bit of investigation when it comes to that and get to the bottom of it. I think that there was one major figure that was detained and is, I don’t know if he has been arrested at this point in time, from one of the villages down in the south, which could lead us to more.”

He said that it is a drug trafficking network that law enforcement agencies are trying to dismantle. “By the detention of this person, I don’t want to share the details, and I would prefer for the Commissioner or somebody from the police department to go into those details, but I think we will have the potential to solve and, in so doing, dismantle the network down in the south.”

Taiwanese Embassy Addresses Lead Contamination in Belize Fitness Equipment

Lead contamination has been found in outdoor fitness equipment across Belize, prompting concerns over public health risks.

As we reported, the Ministry of Health and Wellness issued a directive to remove outdoor fitness equipment across Belize after tests revealed excessive lead levels. The equipment, painted yellow and red, was part of the 2018 “Wellness Parks” initiative. Research by experts from the University of Belize and Mercer University found high lead concentrations in the equipment. Affected locations include Corozal, Orange Walk, Belize City, and others.

The equipment bears signage indicating sponsorship by the Government of Belize, the Ministry of Health, and the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

The Taiwanese Embassy in Belize issued a clarification to the ministry’s letter. It said: “The Embassy of Taiwan would like to clarify that while we provided funding for the exercise equipment in 2018, we were not involved in their procurement. The embassy takes such issues seriously and will work closely with related government agencies of Belize to ensure similar situations do not arise in our bilateral cooperative projects.”

Queen Street Baptist Church Plans Rebuild After Devastating Fire

Pastor Loyd Stanford of Queen Street Baptist Church provided an update on the church’s recovery and rebuilding efforts following the recent fire. He confirmed that the cleanup of the building went smoothly, with significant assistance from members of the Belize City Council, who helped for two days. The local community rallied together to clear the debris, and Stanford said that the congregation is fully committed to rebuilding the church.

A week ago, on March 21, a fire destroyed the historic church in Belize City, leaving the congregation and the Baptist Association of Belize in mourning. The fire started around 4:45 a.m. Despite the efforts of firefighters, the church was completely burnt down. The nearby Queen Street Baptist School also suffered water damage. Founded in 1822, the church was a beloved landmark.

Stanford told News 5 today that the new Queen Street Baptist Church will feature modern changes and is expected to cost around 2.2 million dollars. He added that an engineer was consulted, and the estimated figure provided was an initial assessment. The engineer recommended that the new structure be built stronger and modernised. A more precise estimate will be given once final project details are completed.

Stanford said that while many members and supporters are hopeful that the new building will be up and finished in 9 months time, he called it “an unrealistic expectation”. He explained that the preparatory work is still ongoing, and the funds required for construction will need to be raised through the efforts of the church, its members, and supporters.

Shyne Threatens FB Blog Hot Off The Press with Legal Action

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, former Leader of the Opposition has taken legal steps against Hot Off The Press – Belize, a Facebok blog, for defamation. The law firm Pitts Pitts & Associates, representing Barrow, issued a cease and desist letter on March 27, 2025, demanding the immediate removal of a defamatory article published on March 26, 2025, on Hot Off The Press’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

According to the letter, the article, titled “Shyne’s Diplomatic Days Numbered,” falsely alleged that Barrow refused to return his diplomatic passport, suggesting dishonesty and non-compliance with government directives. The letter says these claims are entirely baseless. It added that Barrow had voluntarily returned the passport to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs prior to the publication of the article.

The law firm has demanded the removal of the defamatory statements, a public apology, and compensation for damages to Barrow’s reputation. They have requested an undertaking from Hot Off The Press to refrain from publishing further defamatory content. The letter warns that failure to comply within 14 days will result in legal proceedings in the High Court of Belize.

Meet the Belize Zoo’s Newest Rescue, Grace the Tapir Calf!

Earlier this month, a concerned citizen found a struggling baby tapir near La Gracia Village in the Cayo District. A wildfire had swept through the area, and amid the chaos, this tiny calf was found alone, her mother nowhere in sight.

Her rescuer saw that she was alone, weak, and struggling, so he acted quickly to remove her from harm. He then reached out to the Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinic so the tapir calf could get the urgent care she needed. Once she was stable, she made her way to the Belize Zoo, where she will grow up in a safe and loving environment.

The Belize Zoo named her Grace. Director Celso Poot told News Five, “Thankfully we have experience in raising tapir calves. We have raised two in the last couple of years that were born right here in the zoo. So we will take from that experience and apply it to Grace’s situation.”

According to the zoo, Grace is still developing; her little teeth are just beginning to come in.

Burnt Drug Plane Discovered Near Guatemala Border; Two Law Enforcement Officers Detained

Authorities have uncovered the remains of a drug plane, deliberately set ablaze after landing on a makeshift airstrip in the remote Toledo District. The aircraft, believed to have been used for smuggling, landed earlier this week in the Graham Creek area, near the Guatemalan border.

Images from the scene show the charred wreckage, reinforcing suspicions of a coordinated illicit operation.

Two law enforcement officers have been detained in connection with the incident.