Belize Murder Rate Skyrockets
Drugs, Gangs And Organized Crime
February 17, 2008
While I was following up on a cruise ship crew member drug arrest in Belize the past week, I have been coming across a series of murders that seem to have the calling cards of organized crime executions. Now, with the ninth especially violent murder in a week coupled with a growing trend of drug trafficking that includes cruise ship passengers and crew, it seems Belize has become the one destination that has gone from tropical oasis, to tropical crime lord haven, almost overnight.
When I saw the latest murder was a taxi driver, found dead in a field, it reminded me of U.S. Attorney Brian Stowe, age 34 from Iowa, who was arrested after he and Belizean taxi driver Evan Young Junior were seen together at the Tourism Village acting suspiciously. Stove had arrived in Belize on a cruise ship on March 21, 2007.
When arrested with 1.3 grams of cocaine in his possession, Stowe pleaded guilty before Magistrate Roberto Ordonez and was given only a fine of only $750 or jail time of 8 months because he said the Cocaine was for "personal use". Had he been labeled a drug dealer, he would have been facing three years in prison, and a fine of $10,000.
This incident was only two months after a drug smuggler team consisting of two brothers, Andrew and Joshua Schumate, were caught smuggling a Cocaine and Heroin mix of 37.6 grams shoved up their anus, that required a doctor to remove the packets after their arrest.
Apparently police were tipped off when the two began acting suspiciously and they stopped to interview and search them. One of the smuggler's 'cup' runeth over and spilled out three baggies of Cocaine right in front of the officers.
The cat was out of the bag, and the pair were arrested at the Tourism Village as well. The pair had arrived on Carnival's ship Galore. They were convicted January 25, 2007. Magistrate Sharon Frazer fined them $10,000 each and let them go back to the U.S.
This past December, an unemployed man, age 45, from South Carolina, Allen Richmond who was lucky enough to have his ex-wife take him on a cruise, was doubly lucky when she paid his $500 fine for possession of Marijuana. He actually managed to get through the entire ordeal quickly enough with a guilty plea to get back on the cruise ship before it left port.
Last month, a young man from New Hampshire was lucky enough to be on a cruise with is parents, who paid his fine. But, not until after they all missed the ship departure. Bennett Whittley, age 21, plead guilty to possession of 12.1 grams of weed. Magistrate Roberto Ordonez fined him $250 plus $5 in court cost, after Whittley spent a night in the holding cell at the Queen Street Station.
Also last month, crew member Jermaine Jaipaul, as I reported on January 31st was arrested for drug trafficking using a Royal Caribbean Cruise line ship.
Now, with the recent wave of murders in Belize, something locals says is like never before seen in the history of Belize, it has become a war zone day and night.
Roberto Torres and Eugene Flores were gunned down February 14, 2008 in broad daylight along with Ron Thomas. Thomas made it, the other two didn't.
The same night another man was gunned down, Shannon 'Shaggy' Henderson. Police say they suspect drugs as a motive in the fatal shooting. Henderson was living with a pregnant Canadian woman who was expecting his child.
February 13th, Nazim Romero, age 21, and Jose Ricalde, age 45, were murdered execution style as they sat in their neighbor's home in the early evening hours. Alfredo Urbina was also hit in the hail of bullets. He was being cared for by Romero, after Urbina was the target of an attempted murder only days before. Another man, an associate of this group, has gone missing. Police are looking for information into the disappearance of Alden Hall.
Also on the 13th was a brutal armed robbery of Fromi Daly. Before dawn two masked, armed men came looking for her husband. Finding him gone, they robbed her of $14,000 in cash and jewelry and hit her in the head with a gun, knocking her to the ground. She survived the attack, but it is unclear if her husband would have.
Alvaro Galvez, age 36, was executed in his apartment February 12, 2008. Neighbors heard the shots, but ignored them. Nobody reported the sound of the five shots fired into Galvez's body to police. Two days later his bullet ridden body was found in his apartment by his employer.
Last Saturday, February 9, 2008, there was an attempted massacre, with 16 students shot, two of them fatally in a hail of 35 bullets. Police say the shootings are gang related.
February 8th, Kirk Craig was attacked by a man wielding a machete. Craig was at standing at the corner of St. Joseph and Nurse Seay Streets when the altercation took place. He was taken to the hosptial after severe blood loss from his head.
Jason Munnings was also gunned down and police are trying to discover why. Munnings was murdered February 2, 2008 at the corner of Mosul and Vernon Streets, while still in his vehicle.
Munnings loved ones are still trying to recover from the loss of another family member, Magistrate Richard Swift whose death too still remains a mystery after he and five friends went fishing and never returned. At this point, it becomes clear, some of these murders are obviously related to drugs, gang or major organized crime families.
Six days later the badly decomposed corpse of Magistrate Richard Swift was found at Middle Caye on Glover’s Reef, sixty miles south of where the fishing party was last known to have been. The official cause of death was from blunt force trauma. Swift had two broken ribs which punctured his liver.
January 27, 2008, two men are gunned down on Malcolm Street in broad daylight. Alfred Tillett, age 20, had just gotten out of jail, after beating a murder charge.
Six hours later another man was gunned down in front of Archie's Restaurant on Central American Boulevard. Jeremy Gibson, age 27, had come to the restaurant to buy food. He never made it home, and police have no clues.
January 22, 2008 Carlton Tasher, age 21 was shot at close range, and died of his injuries. Tasher had a recent run-in with local law enforcement. His street nickname was "Guilty". I think that tells us something about the circle of friends he ran with.
On January 20, 2008, Raul Cortez, age 57, a local taxi driver was kidnapped then stabbed to deal in a cane field near a deserted road off the Prayer Mountain Road in the Cayo District.
Norman Reyes was murdered on January 14, 2008 while sleeping on his sofa. He ran from his home, about 50 yards down the street before he collapsed on the road.
A mother has lost two sons and nephew who were murdered in recent months. Therese Felix says one son was killed on Mothers Day, the other on Christmas. Her nephew was killed January 8th, two days before her birthday.
Alburn Plunkett was to stand trial this past week for murder, but the trial was canceled after it was learned that one of the 12 jurors on the case, was the defendant's aunt. He has been awaiting trial since December 8, 2006 when Cassius Meyers was murdered.
Police in Belize admit that murders were up in 2007 over 2006 and already in 2008 they are skyrocketing. There were 39 murders in 2007. This year so far there have been 15 in 47 days. If this rate continues, Belize will see over 100 murders in 2008.
As I reported on November 6, 2006 Belize child prostitution targeting cruise ship passengers has been a problem for a long time. There is has never been more reasons to avoid Belize.
With warring gangs and executions taking place day and night, the streets of Belize are not safe anytime.
