Sixteen men in Belize City graduated today from the Journey to Freedom small group program, focused on supporting personal growth and reintegration. The eight-week initiative is part of Restore Small Groups Belize’s efforts to bring healing and transformation to men facing personal challenges.
“Journey to Freedom comes under the Restore Small Groups,” said Kenroy Young, National Youth Director. “We’ve been partnering around the world with many organisations to restore small groups to bring healing and hope and happiness into the lives of many people who face challenges in their lives, be it from grief, loss, addiction, low self-esteem, or having their own fears.”
The program was run in partnership with the Leadership Intervention Unit (LIU), which selected the participants from communities across Belize City. All participants are employed under the LIU.
The group began with 24 men. Sixteen completed the full course and were celebrated for their commitment and growth this morning.
Twin Girls/Knitted Knockers Belize, a volunteer group based in San Elena, is giving free handmade breast forms to women who have lost a breast due to cancer. Breast forms are soft, lightweight prosthetics worn inside the bra to restore the shape of a natural breast after a mastectomy or lumpectomy.
The local group joined the global Knitted Knockers network in 2024, now active in 68 countries. The breast forms are knitted or crocheted using breathable materials and are gifted at no cost to the recipient.
Volunteers meet every Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the San Elena Library to make and distribute the forms. The group is actively inviting people across Belize to volunteer, donate, or spread the word.
The group can be contacted at 631-5540 or email twingirls.knittedknockersbelize@gmail.com. Anyone interested are also invited to join the growing community on Facebook.
Jayme Marin, 30, of Caye Caulker, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the 2019 stabbing death of his cousin, 18-year-old Isaac Marin, and the attempted murder of another cousin, Carlos Marin.
Defence attorney Arthur Saldivar represented Marin. Crown Counsel Shanell Fernandez Peyrefitte prosecuted the case.
Doctors initially declared Jayme mentally unfit to stand trial after diagnosing him with paranoid schizophrenia. He was later deemed fit and entered a plea deal, admitting to manslaughter and attempted murder.
Justice Nigel Pilgrim handed down the sentence and granted a reduction for his guilty plea, which was that Marin will serve 12 years and 8 months.
Marin had been granted bail in July 2024 but breached conditions by skipping court and refusing medication. His bail was revoked, and he was taken back into custody.
The teenager told News 5, “I’m not feeling too well. I’m not happy with what happened this morning, because they gave Mr. Guerra bail. I ask for justice and demand justice. I also want all the teenagers to stand up and let the teenage boys get heard.”
Guerra, who once served as Belize’s ambassador to Cuba and is the brother of Cayo West Area Representative Miguel Guerra, has been charged with sexual assault, harm, and procuring defilement by threat. The charges stem from an alleged incident on July 14 involving the teen, who says he was lured to Guerra’s home after running an errand in Cayo.
“He was missing since six o’clock,” the minor’s mother told reporters. “I was calling and calling until he managed to answer me and he said ‘Mommy… I am at Benque.’ I said ‘What are you doing there?’ I know my son is going through something.”
“I feel really insecure,” said the teen. “What if I go back to school and he’s there, since he was one of my lecturers? That would just affect me mentally. For me to go back to school is not that easy, but I am trying to be strong since it’s my last year… Since he’s out there, I feel really insecure, because what if he goes back and tries to do the same or even worse?”
Guerra was granted bail of ten thousand dollars with two sureties.
He briefly addressed the media and denied the allegations. He said, “One thing I must make mention of is, I am being wrongly accuse of rape. It is not rape and I would like whosoever [that] put it up on the media that term because it is not rape.”
Belize’s national women’s volleyball team has won gold again, this time in the 2024 Under-23 Central American Volleyball Championship. The team secured the title on Thursday night at the Belize City Civic Center, defeating Guatemala three sets to one in the final.
It follows their 2023 gold in the Under-21 tournament, with much of the same squad returning for the U23 championship. The Civic was packed as fans cheered the team through an energetic and determined performance.
Kaya Gordon, who was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, told News 5, “So me and my team, as you can see, we came out here with confidence and also trying to dominate Guatemala. And we said, It’s either 3-0, or if they take a set, they’re not coming back; we’re going to get revenge. I’m just proud. I’m proud of my teammates. We get to represent Belize and do something good for Belize.”
She added, “I think my role was to support my teammates and them having my back as well.”
The Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association shared their excitement as well on social media stating, “YOU DID THAT, QUEENS! BELIZE, STAND UP! This GOLD is for all of us!”
A shocking story is unfolding tonight out of the Cayo District, one that’s raising serious concerns about the sexual abuse of minors. A well-known figure, Said “Badi” Guerra, who once served as Belize’s ambassador to Cuba and previously held the office of mayor in Benque Viejo del Carmen, is now facing serious criminal charges. Guerra, the brother of Cayo West Area Representative Miguel Guerra, was escorted to the magistrate’s court earlier today, where he was formally charged with four offenses, including sexual assault, harm, and procuring defilement by threat. It’s a dramatic fall from grace for someone who once represented Belize on the international stage. According to reports, the incident happened on July fourteenth. Guerra was allegedly in the company of a sixteen-year-old boy, and the two were reportedly drinking alcohol. That’s when the alleged assault took place. But it wasn’t until nine days later that a formal complaint was made at the Benque Viejo Police Station. After spending some time in police custody, Guerra appeared before a magistrate in the lower court, where he was granted bail set at ten thousand dollars, along with two sureties of the same amount. He was able to meet bail shortly after the hearing and walked out of court a free man, for now. Guerra took a moment to speak with reporters following his release, though he didn’t say much about the allegations.
Said “Badi” Guerra
Said “Badi” Guerra, Charged with Sexual Offenses
“I believe that it’s important that people know. People sometimes know the negative things, the false things, the incorrect things, but they need to know exactly what is going on. will not, and I must tell you that I will not get into details because, as you know, this is an ongoing process. It’s a, they’re doing their investigation and I would not want to compromise police’s investigation into the matter. One thing I must make mention of is, I am being wrongly accuse of rape. It is not rape and I would like whosoever [that] put it up on the media that term because it is not rape. So, that being said, I would like to mention three things, if you allow me, of course. So, this community knows me, Belize knows me. This community knows me because I’ve worked with children and young people over the years. Since I was very young, I was actually the youth president for the youth council of Cayo West at some point in time. So I’ve always worked with young people and children and this is the first time that these allegations pop up. It is the first time that I am seeing myself involved in these kind of things. That is fine. As I mentioned to some people, not all of us are immune, you know. No one is immune, I must say, to these kinds of things. That’s what I tell the people, the public out there, nobody is immune to these sort of things. Secondly, I would like to call on our community, our society, to please be a bit more compassionate. I’m not talking about me, not talking about myself, I am talking about every time there is an incident, there are some people happen to do things. The society immediately jumps up, condemns, crucifies when it’s only an allegation.”
Following the arraignment of Said “Badi” Guerra, News Five spoke with the mother of the alleged victim. Understandably shaken and choosing to remain anonymous, she shared her frustration with how the case is being handled. Her voice adds a deeply personal layer to a story that’s already making national headlines.
Voice of: Mother of Alleged Victim
“My son was found was found in Benque because my son went to Cayo to pick up some money. Afterwards, I waited a while because I know it takes a while to go get the money. But afterwards I called him and he said, “Mommy, I done get the money. I just gwein buy some food then I gwein home.” I tell he okay, then I wait a while and afterwards I was calling back for him to know where he is or if he done finish buy ih food. But afterwards, I was calling and calling with lots of calls and he never answered me. Then I got scared that something wrong is happening to my son because he was not answering.”
Tanya Arceo
“He also said that he is a student of Said Guerra, is that right?”
Mother of Alleged Victim
“Yes. He’s a teacher at St. Ignatius High School and he thought my son in third form. He teach my son, so that’s why he knows everything about my son because it’s his teacher.”
Tanya Arceo
“How did they get in touch with your son so they can pick him up in Benque?”
Mother of Alleged Victim
“Well, like I tell you, I was calling, calling, calling, but no answer from him. And I never gaan sleep dat day until ,I stay call, call.”
Tanya Arceo
“How long was your son missing?”
Mother of Alleged Victim
“He was missing since six o’clock because I was calling for him and I never gotan answer until one in the morning and I was calling and calling. Then he managed to answer me and he said, “Mommy.” I said, where are you? He told me, “I am at Benque.” And I ask him, “What are you doing there?” And I said, I will find out how to go find you because I could know my son is going through something.”
One of the two men charged in a double murder case in Hattieville is now a free man. Twenty-two-year-old Ian Roy Herrera was released after the Director of Public Prosecutions dropped the charges against him due to lack of evidence. Herrera had been jointly charged with twenty-five-year-old construction worker Blake Norman Lewis for the October 2023 murders of Martin Sho, forty-five, and Joel Andrews, sixty-seven. The charges stemmed from a gruesome discovery at a farm in the Farmers Site area of Hattieville. Police were called to the scene and found signs of a struggle, blood trails, a bloodied wheelbarrow, and eventually, the bodies of both men in separate locations near a pond. Andrews had multiple gunshot wounds. Herrera was first arrested and charged in August 2024, followed by Lewis a few days later. While Herrera is now free, Lewis remains behind bars and has pleaded not guilty. His case is set to continue on November twenty-first, 2025. Crown Counsel Portia Staine-Ferguson is prosecuting the case on behalf of the DPP’s office.
It started with a traffic stop in Florida and ended with a Belizean casino boss behind bars. Rima Ray, tied to the Caribi Bleu Casino in San Pedro, is now at the center of an international investigation into illegal gambling and suspected money laundering. She was caught with over three hundred and forty thousand dollars in cash and claimed it came from selling part of her casino here in Belize. But U.S. authorities say that’s just the beginning. From unlicensed slot machines to suspicious wire transfers, the case against Ray is growing, and so are the questions about her operations here at home. Tonight, we take a closer look at the money trail, the unanswered questions, and what Belizean authorities had to say, or didn’t, when we asked for answers. Here’s Paul Lopez with that story.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
This isn’t your average inmate record. Rima Ray, linked to the Caribi Bleu Casino in San Pedro, has been on News Five’s radar since 2024. Now, she’s behind bars in Florida after being caught with three hundred and forty thousand dollars in cash during a traffic stop. She claimed it came from selling part of her casino in Belize. A U.S. investigation uncovered illegal gambling operations at IL Villagio, where one hundred and ninety unlicensed slot machines and large sums of money were seized. Ray is now facing charges for illegal gambling and fraud, with bail set at just over fifty thousand dollars. Back in 2024, News Five exposed a slot machine at Caribi Bleu that dispensed U.S. currency, an illegal setup we reported to authorities.
Leni Ysaguirre McGann
Leni Ysaguirre McGann, Director, F.I.U. (File: Dec 18th, 2024)
“The FIU to protect the integrity of these processes and to protect the investigation are under strict confidentiality obligations.”
Kareem Michael
Kareem Michael, Governor, Central Bank (File: Nov 27th, 2024)
“I am sure you will appreciate that I cant say much on that, because it is a live investigation.”
And even when the prime minister weighed in on the findings, he encouraged the investigation.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño (File: Dec 9th, 2024)
“If there is any finds that needs to be paid or if they need to charge anybody for having an illegal atm that dispenses U.S. dollars well, I am confident the Central Bank will charge these people or take them to court and they should, I would encourage them to do so.”
Despite the serious allegations, Rima Ray didn’t face any major penalties. No fine, no jail time, just a slap on the wrist. She was ordered to attend a money laundering training session and promised not to use the ATM again. But tonight, questions linger. Could Ray’s illegal gambling operation in Florida be tied to her casino dealings here in Belize? That’s something only the Financial Intelligence Unit can answer. We reached out to FIU Director Leni Ysaguirre McGann for comment, but got no response. However, here’s what she told us back in December about the FIU’s role in tackling money laundering.
Leni Ysaguirre McGann (File: Dec 18th, 2024)
“The FIU and Belize generally does engage in international cooperation and has a strong history of doing so. We cant speak to any specifics but it is obviously within the FIU’s mandate to investigate money laundering and financial crimes.”
According to a U.S. special agent’s affidavit, TD Bank shut down Rima Ray’s accounts back in March due to suspicious activity linked to money laundering. But here’s what stands out, she used that same account to wire fifty thousand dollars to a Belize-based consulting firm last August, and another forty thousand dollars this January. Now, under Belize’s Gaming Control Act, anyone holding a gaming license must be ‘fit and proper’, with no criminal convictions. Ray hasn’t been convicted yet, but the evidence against her is stacking up. Tonight, she remains behind bars in the U.S., and questions about her Belize connections are only growing louder. Reporting for News Five I am Paul Lopez.
FIU Director Leni Ysaguirre McGann reached out to News Five just before news time to say that the unit is looking into these new details. We will continue to follow.
It’s a quarter-million-dollar question that’s been making headlines and tonight, Minister of Foreign Affairs Francis Fonseca is responding. Amid public criticism over the purchase of a high-end Land Cruiser, Minister Fonseca is standing by the purchase, saying he’s neither wasteful nor extravagant. He insists that no taxpayer money was used and believes the ministry got good value for what was spent. Still, Fonseca acknowledges that as a public official, scrutiny comes with the job and he’s not shying away from it.
Francis Fonseca
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs
“First off all let me say that I am a public official, an elected public official, I am a minister of government, so aby action I take, we make, are open to public scrutiny. I understand that, we appreciate that. Now I have been elected representative for twenty-two years. During those twenty-two years nobody can reasonably suggest that I am someone who is wasteful or extravagant in anyway. I think I have developed quite the opposite reputation. From 2020 to 2025 I was using a Land Cruiser Prado assigned to the ministry of education that was handed down to me from a former UDP minister. I didn’t buy any new vehicle, the government didn’t buy any new vehicle for me. It was actually in bad condition. When I moved over to the ministry of foreign affairs, they informed me that a diplomatic ally had made a grant to the ministry foot eh purchase of vehicles, one of which is to be assigned to the minister of foreign affairs. That was grant money, no public funds were used, no tax payers money, no tax payers money have been used for the purchase of vehicles at the ministry of foreign affairs since 2020. That is the case. Now they said we will buy a preowned land cruiser, Navy Blue. That was the end of my involvement in the process. I am not involved in negotiating. They bought it from someone who I view as a reputable car dealer who was done work with the government many times before. You call always question he value for these things, but from my understanding they got value for money.”
