June, 2025 - Greater Belize Media

Gun Dealers Say Firearms Board Deadline Retaliatory

A recent directive from the Firearms and Ammunition Control Board (FACB) requiring all licensed gun dealers and company gun licence holders to submit a full inventory of their firearms and ammunition by June 11, 2025, has sparked criticism from members of the firearms community.

The notice said, “The Firearms and Ammunition Control Board informs Company Gun Licence holders and Gun Dealers to submit an inventory of their stock of firearms and ammunition to this office by June 11, 2025, to the above email address. The Board also advises that physical checks of inventory will commence in the month of June 2025.”

While the move may be seen as part of routine regulatory oversight, some gun dealers believe the timing is retaliatory, particularly following public criticism of the current licensing system by gun dealer Abner Murillo, owner of Lock N’ Loaded.

Murillo, speaking recently on News 5, cited the Tropic Air hijacking as a case where a licensed firearm holder helped prevent a potentially deadly situation. He argued that responsible gun ownership plays a critical role in public safety and expressed frustration with what he described as an increasingly burdensome and inconsistent licensing process.

“The way to stop evil is to give people a licensed weapon, simple as that,” Murillo said. “People are frustrated, but they don’t want to speak up. Every day, people come into my store complaining.”

Murillo also criticised the FACB for allegedly revoking instructor licences without justification and for failing to honour previously approved certifications when the licensing authority transitioned from the police department to the FACB. He claims that qualified instructors, including himself, have been unfairly targeted.

“They revoked licences left, right, and centre… It just seems like I am going to benefit this one and victimise that one. That’s how it feels,” he added.

The FACB responded by defending its updated procedures, stating that the changes are intended to improve due diligence and close administrative loopholes. The Board also clarified that only one valid ID is required for applications and acknowledged the logistical challenges faced by rural applicants.

Teachers Intensify Industrial Action Against Briceño Administration

Early this morning, teachers in southern Belize staged roadblocks, claiming “mechanical issues,” with vehicles “breaking down” in the middle of highways in areas such as Mile 2 on George Price Drive in Dangriga and at the Independence-PG junction.

This is part of the Belize National Teachers’ Union’s (BNTU) intensified it’s industrial action as teachers continue to protest longstanding issues, including salary adjustment and unpaid salary increments.

Police were seen at the locations trying to control and de-escalate the situation.

In a standoff with police, one teacher criticised the authorities, saying, “So many times we need police officers; we call them, and we can’t get them to respond because they have mechanical problems. Well, they could have had mechanical problems this morning, but they are out here in full force from last night; they were instructed,” the teacher said. “Imagine being instructed against your own, your sister, your brother, your auntie, your wife. You are being instructed against them, and you are going to follow those instructions by the same people violating you?”

Another teacher called out government officials, questioning Prime Minister John Briceño’s decision to approve salary increases to CEOs when there were unresolved matters with teachers and public officers.

The teacher stated, “When they decided to give themselves a 15 and 18 per cent increase, they didn’t think twice; they didn’t bat an eye. When they decided to take out 10 per cent, they didn’t bat an eye. And they want to talk stupidness about we no make no sacrifice.”

The teacher went on to call out the Prime Minister, John Briceño, questioning if he even knew the meaning behind “sacrifice”, stating, “He needs to get his assessment just like us, twice a year, to see if he deserves the salary that we give him; it’s a hefty one, plus all those perks that they get. “

Former Ambassador Alexis Rosado Back in Court Over Rape Charges

A high-profile legal case that once sent shockwaves across the nation is back in the spotlight. This morning, former Belizean Ambassador Alexis Rosado returned to court after spending three years out on bail. Rosado, who once represented Belize on the international stage, including at the International Court of Justice, now faces serious criminal charges stemming from allegations made in 2021. The accusations involve a disturbing claim of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, beginning when the alleged victim was just thirteen years old. Rosado has been charged with rape, sexual assault, and multiple counts of aggravated assault of an indecent nature. Originally brought before the Magistrate’s Court in 2022, the case has since been elevated to the High Court. At today’s arraignment, News Five briefly spoke with Rosado and his attorney, Richard “Dickie” Bradley, as the legal process moves into its next phase.

Britney Gordon

“Do you have anything to say today?”

Alexis Rosado, Arraigned for Rape

“No miss.”

Britney Gordon

“Any comments on today’s session?”

Alexis Rosado

“Not at all. None”

Britney Gordon

“And how are you feeling going into today’s session then?”

Alexis Rosado

“I good. I don’t have anything to say. Thank you.”

Richard “Dickie” Bradley, Attorney-at-Law

“This matter has now come to the High Court, and the ambassador has been basically arraigned in the high court of the country on the allegations that have been made against him.”

Reporter

“Okay. So this was just a regular arraignment.”

Richard “Dickie” Bradley

“It was just a regular arraignment, nothinh special, nothing out of ordinary in the matter. Following an arraignment, procedurally the two sides, the defense and the prosecution would ensure that what is referred to in the lower court as a disclosure up here, we talk about a deposition, that we are all on the same page in terms of what is the deposition, which includes statements, exhibits, medical reports, expert reports, whatever is is. So that was something that came up today as well. And so our side and the prosecution will sort that out between ourselves. So when we return back to court, we have a deposition that is in fact the same thing for all sides.”

Reporter

“Could you remind us of the charges brought against your client?”

Richard “Dickie” Bradley

“The charges are that there is one charge of a sex assault, a charge of rape. I think they have put in an aggravated assault, which normally would be dealt with at the magistrate court, but rather than having a trial there, and a trial here. That is the charge that is against the accused person.. The bail was nothing excessive. It was a signed bail for I think maybe ten thousand or eight thousand dollars. Bail is just a procedure that the court puts person’s through to ensure that somebody would have to be responsible, that they do turn up. Otherwise they will use their land or their money.”

The next court session is scheduled for June twenty-fourth, 2025.

Budna Jailed Again Amid Cyberbullying Claims

A controversial figure is back behind bars tonight. Self-proclaimed journalist Joseph Ryan Budna is spending the night at the Belize Central Prison after allegedly violating bail conditions tied to a previous charge. This latest development follows fresh accusations of cyberbullying, targeting both a male and female complainant. The female victim claims Budna used a Facebook livestream to spread damaging and humiliating misinformation, including salacious claims involving political figures. Budna has pleaded not guilty, but the court denied him bail. He’s expected to reappear on June tenth. Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith has more on the arrest.

ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer

“On Friday thirtieth, May 2025. Police formerly arrested and charge Joseph Bunda of Trial Farm Village for two counts of using a computer system to publish computer data to cause a person substantial emotional distress, and one count of using a computer system to disseminate a false information, a false statement with the intent to cause another person to be the subject of public ridicule. This arrest and charge was as a consequence of a report made by a female in relation to several postings of Mr. Budna”

San Pedro Man Admits Killing Cop

A man from San Pedro has admitted to killing a police officer during a night of drinking more than five years ago. Thirty-two-year-old Josue Danilo Villatoro Amador has pleaded guilty to manslaughter as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. The incident happened on January eleventh, 2019, when Amador and Corporal Alfonso Guy were drinking together. The two, reportedly intoxicated, went back to Guy’s home. At some point, Guy handed his police-issued gun to Amador for safekeeping. When Guy returned from the bathroom, he took out the magazine and gave the gun back to Amador. Moments later, Amador pulled the trigger, firing a single shot that struck Guy in the chest, killing him instantly. Amador fled the scene but was later found by police and cooperated with the investigation. Originally charged with murder in 2020, Amador has been behind bars ever since. On May twenty-second, 2025, he officially entered a plea deal, admitting to the lesser charge of manslaughter. However, he missed a court date on May 29, prompting a bench warrant. He turned up the next day and was remanded once again. Justice Candace Nanton is now awaiting several reports, including a social inquiry, victim impact statement, and prison report, before deciding on Amador’s sentence, which is expected in July. Prosecutors have recommended a fifteen-year sentence with possible reductions for time already served and other mitigating factors.

FACB Defends Firearm Licenses System

A war of words is brewing between a well-known gun dealer and the Firearms and Ammunition Control Board over Belize’s newly updated firearm licensing system. The board is defending its process, saying it’s designed to strengthen due diligence and reduce administrative loopholes. But gun dealer Abner Murillo isn’t convinced. He says the system has become overly complicated, so much so that it’s now blocking responsible citizens from legally obtaining firearms. Murillo shared stories of rural applicants traveling long distances to Belmopan, only to be turned away and told to return the next day. He also claims he’s being personally targeted. The board, however, has pushed back, clarifying that only one valid ID is required and acknowledging the unique challenges faced by applicants in remote areas. The board also confirmed that Murillo has taken legal action. Here’s what he had to say.

Abner Murillo, Owner, Lock N’ Loaded

“When it comes to instructors, I am an NRA certified instructor in the U.S. I can teach anywhere in the U.S. But, what they did, and I don’t want to go too much into detail, but they are victimizing certain people and cherry-picking certain people. We have an instructor that teaches out of Lock N Loaded but it is not me. There are four or five instructors to teach a population of, what is the population right now? The last time I checked it was four hundred thousand, about four to five hundred thousand. So you have about a hundred thousand people for instructors. Does that make any sense to you. And there is a lot of qualified instructors in the country. They have taken away, revoked license. When it went from the police department and they took over, it was not a new application for new instructors. They should have honored everything already established. But they came and began revoking licenses left right and center. They revoked licenses for myself with no justification, no kind of explanation and it just seems like I am going to benefit this one and victimize this one, that is how it feels.”

Gun Dealer Says New Board Hurting Businesses and Citizens

Gun dealer Abner Murillo pointed to the recent Tropic Air hijacking as proof that licensed firearm holders can help stop dangerous situations. He highlighted the role of a passenger with a licensed weapon who helped prevent the incident from escalating. Murillo says he’s not alone in his frustration with the current licensing system; many others feel the same way. But according to him, most people are afraid to speak out, worried they’ll be targeted or face backlash for voicing their concerns.

Abner Murillo, Owner, Lock N’ Loaded

“We just had a plane hijacking. When that plane landed, the person with the knife could have killed that pilot. What stopped that pilot from being killed, the guy that hand a license weapon. The girl right down here whose child was being abducted, what stopped that from happening, the person had a licensed weapon. The way to stop evil is to give people a licensed weapon, simple as that. I think the Minister of Home Affairs is doing an amazing job. I have the utmost respect for Kareem Musa. I think he is doing an amazing job. I was very disappointed in his comments that he does not care about the gun dealers, because it is not just the gun dealers. We are talking about all the citizens in Belize, the farmers that are losing livestock. So, I think he did not think through or that he meant it. But all the dealers were hurt by it and not just the dealers, the people, because it trickles down. I have the utmost faith they will do the right thing. But this board is not working. The system they have now is not working and people are frustrated, but the problem is that people don’t want to speak up. Every day you have three, four, five people come into my store complaining. But why don’t they speak up?”

Unions Say “No Thanks” to 3% Raise—Push for Fair Pay

The Joint Unions Negotiating Team, or JUNT, has responded to the prime minister’s latest pay proposal, and they’re not holding back. In a letter dated May thirty-first, the unions made it clear: a three percent salary increase starting in October just doesn’t cut it. After talking it over with their members, they’ve unanimously rejected the offer. But they’re not just saying “no”, they’re calling on the Government to lead by example. While they support the national push to raise the minimum wage to six dollars an hour, they believe public officers, who keep the country running, deserve more than just the bare minimum. They’re demanding a living wage that reflects the real value of their work. Still, it’s not all criticism. JUNT welcomed the government’s promise to follow through on its legal obligations under the 2021–2024 Collective Bargaining Agreement. That includes updating transfer grants and paying what’s owed to public officers who’ve been relocated. The unions are now asking for an official notice confirming the new grant rates. And in a sign of cooperation, they’ve agreed to the Government’s suggestion of a sixty-day window for responding to counterproposals during negotiations.

PSU President: We’re Not Trying to Dictate CEOs’ Pay

Last week, the Joint Unions Negotiating Team, unanimously rejected the government’s offer of a three percent salary increase, calling it far from enough to meet the needs of public workers. The unions’ frustration is fueled by what they see as a glaring double standard. While public officers are being offered modest raises, CEOs reportedly received over a fifteen percent salary bump following the last general election. President of the Public Service Union, Dean Flowers, isn’t mincing words. He’s warned the government that the unions are prepared to take swift and disruptive action if their demands aren’t met. Flowers emphasized that the unions aren’t trying to dictate CEO salaries, but they won’t back down from their fight for a fair and equitable pay structure.

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union

“The Public Service Union nor the joint unions for that matter, does not wish to value or put a cost or a price on the work of the CEO. That’s not our place. That is for the experts who do classification of jobs, who value jobs, who can tell you exactly what that word, what their word should be. So we’re not questioning whether a CEO should earn. Sixty thousand dollars a year, seventy-six thousand a year, eighty-eight thousand dollars a year. We’re not questioning that. We’re saying that if we’re all going to contribute to the growth and development of the public service, then the structure has to be one that equitably distribute the benefits. So you cannot say that because I’m the CEO. I’m entitled to a hundred thousand because the reality is you bring limited experience in the public service. When you come here, you come in oblivious to really and truly how the public service run, and that’s the reason why the con, the public service continues to get worse because of your leadership, because of your inability to identify the deficiencies in your ministry, in your department. Whether it’s human resource, whether it’s operations, whatever it is, you are being paid to identify that. So you cannot simply come in, demand a hundred thousand, but nothing fixes. The corruption gets worse, in most cases, gets worse gets worse.”

Police on Alert Should Teachers Attempt City Blockade

The Belize Police Department is bracing for possible disruptions in Belize City. Authorities are on high alert tonight amid concerns that the Belize National Teachers Union may escalate their protest action by blocking key entry points into Belize City. With the union moving into a new phase of their industrial action, police have been instructed to monitor three major bridges, Belcan Bridge, Chetumal Street Bridge, and Burdon Canal Bridge, every hour for any unusual activity. Officers are expected to report their findings in real time to ensure the free flow of traffic and public safety. While no blockades have been confirmed, the heightened vigilance signals just how seriously law enforcement is taking the potential threat. Many will remember a similar moment in recent history. On the morning of May seventeenth, 2021, the unions made a bold move, successfully cutting off traffic into Belize City during the busy rush hour. The result? A massive traffic jam that paralyzed the city for hours. That action sent a powerful message and demonstrated the unions’ ability to mobilize and disrupt. With current talks heating up and the police on high alert, many are wondering, could history repeat itself?