Recently, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams confirmed that one of the persons wanted for involvement with drug operations in Corozal is a member of the Belize Police Department on leave. While unable to provide more details on the ongoing investigation, Williams condemned the involvement of police officers in cartel activity, promising strict consequences for any officers found to have ties to their operations. Here’s more on that.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I am not going to say much on this because I have put together a team to investigate that whole issue in the north. Not just the civilians, but also the police officers who were getting information of our involvement. I have said this before and I’m going to say it again. The Belize Police Department is not going to shield no police officer who gets entangled with cartels. If you get entangled with cartels, the best I can do for you is to second you to Chetumal, where you can work with them. But I will not allow for police officers to be entangled with cartels and be working with other police officers who are not involved. And when a cartel come for them, they end up injuring innocent police officers. It is extremely risky. And so I have said that what we need to do is to investigate, identify those police officers. And I don’t think transferringthem is going to us, because if we transfer them, they move to other areas and they recruit more police officers. So they will, in essential, be contaminating more police officers. So, my thing is that we identify them and we get rid of them. You can’t be a cartel and be a police at the same time. You have to decide what you want to be. You can only be one. So either decide to be cartel or you decide to be police. The fact that they have decided to be cartels, that there’s no need for no room for them to be police officers. We have to part ways, and that’s the bottom line.”
Reporter
“Now, with this police officer that’s being sought, what is the status on him?”
Chester Williams
“I am told that he’s going to surrender himself today, and so we’ll wait and see how that goes.”
In late February, twenty-nine-year-old Raheem Usher was found handcuffed, wrapped in a sheet, and covered in plastic near the Rio Hondo River. The construction worker from Libertad village had been missing for over a month and was discovered with a cryptic message attached to his body. Police have dismissed rumors of cartel involvement in Usher’s death. However, given the targeted nature of the attack, questions have arisen about why Usher was allowed to possess a licensed gun. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams addressed this issue today.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“ Yes, he was a member of the Coast Guard and yes, he had a license firearm.”
Reporter
“Did you issue him the license?”
Chester Williams
“I cannot say, but if I did, he would have been a member of the security force.”
Reporter
“So, but Raheem Usher had a licensed firearm and Curtis Usher had a license firearm.”
Chester Williams
“We have discussed Curtis Usher before. You know I was not the one who issued that.”
Reporter
“Yeah, but I’m just saying that we’ve seen a family or persons in a family involved with narco elements from the north and they are licensed gun holders by the state.”
Chester Williams
“We have to be fair. Raheem Usher was a member of the Belize Coast Guard. He was a member of a security force. I am sure that when he entered the Coast Guard, there was no information of him being connected to any narco. If not, the Coast Guard would not have recruited him. And for me, when I was the licensing authority, any police officer be there for Coast Guard who applied for a license to hold a gun, so long as their vetting is clean, I would give it to them. Because I understand the risk that is associated with you being a member of the security force in this country. So It would not be a prudent thing for me to deny them license. I cannot speak to why Coast Guard parted ways with Raheem. I’m not the commander of Coast Guard. I think he can answer that question if you were to be asked. But certainly when he did get his firearm license, his betting was clean and he was a member of the Belize Coast Guard.”
Recently, a police inspector’s gun was confiscated after it was found in a car with a minor and two other people while he wasn’t in the vehicle. No charges were filed against the officer or the passengers. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams explained that the officer simply forgot to take the gun out of the car before leaving. Here’s Williams with more details.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“We have found guns in vehicles before and the gun being licensed. Let me, finish, please. The gun being licensed to somebody and the people were not charged. Hyde was in the vehicle. He forget his gun in the vehicle. He’s a licensed holder. The police found the three people in the vehicle with the gun that Hyde forgot in the vehicle. It would, it would not be a crime. It will be tantamount to malicious prosecution had those persons been prosecuted.”
Reporter
“Sir, that’s joint enterprise.”
Chester Willaims
“No, no, no. It would have been joint enterprise if they had took the gun to thevehicle without Hyde’s permission.”
Reporter
“But that means because you’re accepting the story of the inspector in question then,”
Chester Williams
“Mr. Vasquez, I have no reason not to accept it. If you have some other reason that is on you, at the end of the day Sir,”
Reporter
“You are protecting.”
Chester Williams
“At the end of the day, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. You will say what you want to say. But, at the end of the day, I don’t act based on gossip. I act based on facts. There are going to be those people who, for their own aggrandizement, are going to feed you what they know you. I want to hear. I have no issue with that. That is between you and them. I have explained to you, I have answered your question and I am done with that issue.”
Reporter
But sir, in a normal circumstance, a person would be charged, no matter who the gun fell under,”
Chester Williams
“No. We have found a gun in the vehicle in Belama, belonging to a person who had license and he forgot the gun in the vehicle and we did not charge the people. That happened many times before.”
Reporter
“Should, well, if your inspector is so careless with his firearm, should he retain that license?”
Chester Williams
“And the gun is being held, and I said to him he’s not going to get it back because we will write the board to ask that it be revoked. Because certainly there’s an issue of carelessness there.”
On Friday morning, a Central Transit commuter bus overturned on the Philip Goldson Highway near mile six and a half. Around thirty passengers were injured and rushed to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for emergency care. Over the weekend, three of the company’s buses were destroyed by fire in what appears to be an arson attack. The buses were parked in the company’s lot when they went up in flames.
“On Sunday, March ninth, police responded to a report of three buses on fire in Lord’s Bank Village. Upon their arrival, they spoke with Pedro Guzman, a watchman, who was taking care of the buses. He reported that he heard some noises inside one of the buses and, thereafter, he saw fire. The three buses were burnt. The fire department responded and extinguished the flames. An investigation is being carried out at this time to determine the cause of the fire and we are awaiting the report from the fire department.”
Reporter
“Was anybody injured?”
Hilberto Romero
“No one was injured.”
Reporter
“The circumstances, as I understand it, the watchman mi di sleep and then ih hear one ah di engine strike up and next thing, there was a fire. Are you all looking at arson, especially since a Central Transit bus almost went into the river on Friday morning?”
Hilberto Romero
“We are conducting an investigation, but at this time we await the report from the fire department. So far we have no evidence suggesting that it is arson. That is what the caretaker reported, hearing a noise and he did not see anyone in the area.”
On Sunday, residents of Placencia Village acted when some property owners ignored a D.O.E. order to remove some breakwater along the beach. The Department of Environment had given them until March seventh to take it down. Three days after the deadline, over a dozen residents showed up and dismantled the wall themselves. News Five’s Paul Lopez has more on this issue affecting coastal and island communities in Belize.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
On Sunday morning, residents gathered at a beachfront property to dismantle a breakwater that posed an environmental threat. The Department of Environment had sent a letter on February twenty-seventh to the property owners, stating that no proper assessments or studies had been done to prove the breakwater’s effectiveness. The letter also noted that the owners had not consulted with relevant authorities, including the DOE, before erecting it. The DOE ordered the owners to remove the structure by March seventh. When they didn’t comply, the residents acted themselves.
Warren Garbutt
Warren Garbutt, Chairman, Placencia Village
“The issue we are having is that people are not respecting these letters given by these different entities. So, villagers were aware of our attempts through public meetings, and we expressed people have these concerns, ask us. We do what we can. People just got tired and enforcement is extremely lacking. We wait forever for action to be taken. Residents just went out, had enough yesterday and went out.”
Tensions flared briefly between residents and the police when a few men tried to move a massive boulder. Amateur video captured a police officer pushing a resident causing him to fall. His fellow villagers rushed to his aid.
Warren Garbutt
“It is evident, as soon as these structures go up we see the effects of them. The erosion is rapid and especially to the south and changes to the beach in the north as well. It does not obstruct people passing as much, but the issue is the rapid erosion cause by the structures. That is why whenever we see them going up I personally go out to these owners and ask them to go through the proper procedure of applying to the physical planning unit, because it is on public beach.”
Belize’s beachfront properties, with their paradise-like appeal, attract investors from all over. However, these developments often cause conflicts between residents and property owners. Placencia isn’t alone in this struggle. In January, we reported a similar incident in Caye Caulker, where the village council dismantled a fence built in the beach reserve. At the time, Chairlady, Seleny Villanueva-Pott, shared her thoughts on the matter.
Seleny Villanueva- Pott
Seleny Villanueva- Pott, Chairlady, Caye Caulker Village
“Many people do not adhere to the process, and they just go in and do their stuff. We really need to put a stop to that. If we just sit down and watch, we will be taken over. And the island has been pressuring us on numerous occasions to claim what is rightfully for the people of Caye Caulker.”
Belize Rural South Area Representative, Andre Perez, mentioned that Ambergris Caye is also facing controversial developments that could harm the environment.
Andre Perez
Andre Perez, Former Area Rep, Belize Rural South
“It is not only Caye Caulker, it is Ambergris Caye and even down in Placencia we are having these issues as well where we have the private investors coming in and believing these areas are just designed for their guest. We cannot. We can make that clear out there that the beach or sea front is public access anywhere.”
In Placencia, Chairman Garbutt explained that although residents still had access, environmental concerns prompted action. He emphasized that the village welcomes investors but urges them to consult with the relevant authorities during construction.
Warren Garbutt
“The action yesterday was geared towards one specific property, but it is a huge mess, the entire peninsula and it is not only Placencia being impacted, it is the entire peninsula.”
On Saturday morning, the lifeless body of thirty-three-year-old Elton Rhaburn was found under the BelChina Bridge. What led to his death? We spoke with his mother off-camera. She shared that on Friday, Rhaburn had been complaining of neck pain and fainted twice. He was rushed to the hospital that evening after falling off his verandah due to the same pain. However, he discharged himself against his mother’s advice and walked home. The next morning, the Yorke Street resident was found dead in Haulover Creek. His mother believes the hospital could have done more to help her son.
Voice of: Mother of Deceased
Voice of: Mother of Deceased
“He said mommy I have to go, I need to go, I cant stay. I tell them you hear what he saying, please strap him down. They pay me no mind to strap him. He got up and took the drips off and he is walking out. I got up the morning and went to the bathroom and from my bathroom I could see the door. So I saw it the same way, a little half tilt and thought he was in there. I used the bathroom and went back and laydown and then I get up and come outside and saw my brother. I asked him did you hear what happened to Elton. He said, Elton is not in there, he came out. My son step out of that house and was still in that head pain, because when that police officer finally called me a couple hours after we were looking for him and we could not have found Elton. I was so devastated. I know my son got an aneurism, because his face was bloody, blood coming out of his eyes, nose mouth and pores, his whole face is bloody. Maybe he slipped, I believe he slipped over the bridge. The thing is I believe the hospital could have served me as listening to me, at least you are the medical people, you saw pressure was high. They could have given a medication, they did not give nothing. They saw the pressure was high and they did not listen to me and strap him down. If they did those two things I could have still had my son today.”
Police reported that no injuries were found on Rhaburn’s body. K.H.M.H. C.E.O. Chandra Cansino mentioned that she hasn’t been briefed on the hospital staff’s interaction with Rhaburn that Friday night. Here are those comments.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“No signs of injuries. He had fallen from a verandah the day before. He had gone to KHMH for treatment and self-discharge himself from there.”
Paul Lopez
“What can you tell us about Mr. Elton Rhaburn, the thirty-three-year-old that came into the hospital on Friday night seeking medical attention. He reportedly discharged himself. He was found floating by the BelChina Bridge some hours later. Have you received any reports in terms of how that played and him discharging himself based on what he was experiencing medically?”
Chandra Cansino, C.E.O., KHMHA
“No, I have not received any reports about that patient. We do have patients that come in and self discharge. That is within their right as a human being. They can do that. I assume that is what happened in this case, but I don’t have any details or information on that particular case.”
With the recent spike in gang activity and violent crimes in Belize City, some residents are worried about safety during the 2025 general elections. But Police Commissioner Chester Williams reassures everyone that the police have a solid plan to keep the entire country safe. He encourages all Belizeans to come out and vote.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I want to categorically and emphatically speak to the Belizean people that it is going to be safe for them to come out and cast their vote tomorrow for elections. As much as yes, we are stretched thin, particularly in Belize City. I have put together our operational plans for tomorrow to make sure that we have adequate number of police officers from the specialized unit to conduct operations in Belize City tomorrow and those persons who we believe are problematic will be detained. They might not have the chance to vote. We are not going to put the elections at peril because of these people. It’s not going to happen. So, again, feel free and feel safe to come out and vote tomorrow.”
On Wednesday, voters all over Belize will head to the polls to choose the winners of the 2025 General Election. Over the past month, we’ve shown the candidates competing for seats in different constituencies. Tonight, we wrap up our ‘Meet the Candidates’ series with a look at the three hopefuls aiming to represent Belize Rural South. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with the story.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
The 2025 General Elections are just hours away, and the race is intensifying for the candidates in Belize Rural South. Back in 2020, Andre Perez turned the constituency blue with his victory. He’s confident that his hard work will pay off, and he’ll secure another win.
Andre Perez
Andre Perez, P.U.P. Candidate, Belize Rural South
“It’s what I have done already. It’s not only what I’m doing, but what I did in the last four years, the work I’ve done there speaks for itself. The track record with tangible results. We’re coming up the hustle and starting in San Pedro. We built a health center in Caye Caulker. The streets are being paved. The last thing is right now is the beach reclamation. We’re starting out already. So, so many things are happening. And not to mention as well, the amount of jobs, employment there that is just booming.”
Perez is facing off against three other candidates, including the U.D.P.’s Manuel Heredia. Heredia, who served Belize Rural South for over seventeen years, lost the seat to Perez in the 2020 elections. This year, he’s determined to turn the constituency red again. He decided to run after being asked to help save the constituency.
Manuel Hereda
Manuel Hereda, U.D.P. Candidate, Belize Rural South
“I believe that we are losing our island, we are losing our democracy, and hence the reason why I decided to give it another shot. There were multiple people from different sectors calling me to please come up front and try to save this island. So I am here tonight offering myself once more with the same humility, with the same respect. With the same dignity, I was never involved in any scandal during those many years that I was there. And I intend to be the servant of the people.” Running under Moses Shyne Barrow for the U.D.P. is Mahmoud Dani Lagha. He promises economic development and more land distribution to residents.
Mahmoud “Dani” Lagha
Mahmoud “Dani” Lagha, U.D.P. Candidate, Belize Rural South
“My name is Mahmoud Lagha. I’m known as Dani Lagha. I’m running for Belize Rural South under U.D.P. Democratic Party under Mr. Shynne Barrow. The reason why I’m running for a minister, because I know we need a big change. We need a big difference. People are, are dying, people are hungry, people are doing so bad, so we need a big change for them. We need to help them, That’s the reason why I’m running.”
Also running is Abner Bacab of the Belize Justice Movement. Bacab, well-known for his work as an Emergency Medical Technician, also ran in the recent municipal elections. If he wins, he vows to bring justice to Belize Rural South and stand up for the rights of every citizen.
Abner Bacab
Abner Bacab, B.J.M. Candidate, Belize Rural South
“When it comes to doing things for our community, I’ve been a very active member of our community. Most recently, we put in three ambulances in San Pedro, something historical that has never been done by any organization, government, town council. So I’ve always been working with the people as we give free service to local people in San Pedro when they need emergency services. Additionally, and more important than that is we are helping to secure and safeguard our tourism. In San Pedro, as San Pedro is the number one tourist destination in the whole country of Belize. So we did something that was much needed for our tourism to be able to compete with other tourism destinations.”
Perez highlights economic activity on the islands, claiming that youths have had no trouble finding work under his tenure.
Andre Perez
“Riight now in San Pedro and Caye Caulker, right now it’s a severe shortage of work, right now. Especially with the coming of the BPOs. BPOs is at least about sixteen thousand people working. Which is excellent. But then again, it’s putting a dent in the tourism sector. So we are hustling and bustling right now in San Pedro and Caye Caulker. It’s the peak season of tourism. Jobs everywhere right now. There’s need for waiters. People are getting hotels, restaurants, vacancies everywhere.”
Heredia pledges to keep the islands’ economy thriving by making sure all the money made on the islands is reinvested into their development.
Manuel Hereda
“I believe also that every time you’re supposed to have other sources of revenue to come over here. Take for instance, Caye Caulker. Caye Caulker was a village getting practically nothing. With our administration, every single financial income that goes to Kikawka was done under our administration. From taxes, the little trade license. Everything that has been transferred, everything has been done through our administration. You can check that record and you will find that it’s so. You can ask the different village council chairperson and that has been so.”
Lagha says he will restructure the tax system and put more pressure on the B.T.B. to invest in the islands.
Mahmoud “Dani” Lagha
“First of all, we need to fix the taxes from it because the taxes are very expensive. And the B.T.B. need a lot of work and a lot of things to be good again.”
Bacab insists that the B.J.M. is not just a party, but a movement. He promises that if elected, he’ll keep up his efforts to serve the people of the islands.
Abner Bacab,
“Most politicians, when they come here, they will talk of what they have done. That’s what they bank on, no? For us it is a bit different because, again, you have to know that all the funding comes from private funding, nothing to do with the government, which by right should have been done by one of the governments, the P.U.P. or U.D.P., or the town council or minister, but they never had the interest of taking care of our community and our tourism, that is our bread and butter in San Pedro.”
On Wednesday, registered voters will head to their polling stations to cast their ballots for their favorite candidates in the general election. Polls will be open from seven a.m. to six p.m. Since the election date was announced, News Five has been giving you an in-depth look at the candidates in all thirty-one constituencies. Tonight, as we wrap up this part of our coverage, we bring you the final close-up with the candidates from the Toledo District. Here’s News Five’s Marion Ali with the report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Often called the forgotten district, Toledo’s voters will make their voices heard on Wednesday as they choose their representatives for the House of Representatives. They will vote in the Toledo East and Toledo West constituencies. In Toledo East, three candidates are competing. The incumbent, Dr. Osmond Martinez of the PUP, was elected last July to replace the late Mike Espat. He shared with us what he has accomplished since then.
Osmond Martinez
Dr. Osmond Martinez, P.U.P Candidate, Toledo East
“We managed to pave so many streets in Punta Gorda, a few villages that didn’t have water now have water. For example, Midway, Machakilha, other villages that didn’t have electricity, such as Corazon now have electricity, San Lucas, San Lucky Strike. In Punta Gorda we also managed to do a lot in terms of fixing up, just rehabilitating those roads that are on the outskirts of Punta Gorda. And then in Bella Vista, there has been a lot of work right now being done in terms of infrastructure road work. Trio, Bladen – in Bladen we managed to secure, through Fyfes, half a million dollars to build a preschool and a primary school. That is almost being completed. We also managed to secure some funding for a kitchen in San Isidro. We managed to do a lot in six months.”
Wil Maheia, representing the People’s Nation Party, is challenging Martinez. Although he’s run in several elections before, Maheia believes he has the constituents’ support this time. He also credits his activism for bringing about specific security measures at the Sarstoon.
Wil Maheia
Wil Maheia, P.N.P. Candidate, Toledo East
“They are telling me “This is your turn. This is your chance now. The opportunity is there. We know that you have the stamina. You’ve been at it from 2007. Now we’re 2024, hey, we’re gonna give you a chance. We feel really good. We feel confident. Your record speaks for itself. You’ve always championed the Sarstoon. There’s a million-dollar Forward Operating Base there now. You’re not even in government and because of your advocacy that is done. The one at Hunting Caye, I’m the one who championed for that to happen. So you could see that I could work across party lines. And the one that at Hunting Caye was built during the Barrow administration. The one at Sarstoon was built during the Briceño administration.”
For the past fifteen years, the P.N.P. has been around, and at one time, Maheia chose to run in the Fort George Division in Belize City. He clarified that he did not leave the people of Toledo East behind but wanted to demonstrate the importance of redistricting, to balance out areas like Fort George, which is much smaller than Toledo East. Meanwhile, Orlando Muschamp is running as an independent candidate in Toledo East, focusing on improving roads, supporting welfare and social programs for the elderly, and enhancing healthcare.
Orlando Muschamp
Orlando Muschamp, Independent Candidate Toledo East
“We’re doing bad in Punta Gorda especially when it comes to infrastructure and economic development. Our people are barely putting a plate of food on their table today because of the high costs, the high cost of food. They said that they saved the Belizean dollar; we did not go two to one, but yet we went three to onein the stores where the high cost of food is very high.”
Marion Ali
“You were invited to a debate to take part as a candidate on the head panel, but you reached late and then you joined the audience, and instead of subjecting yourself to being questioned, you questioned the other candidates. How do you do that?”
Orlando Muschamp
“Strategy.”
Marion Ali
“But people wanted to hear from you.”
Orlando Muschamp
”They did hear from me because the concern is I’m fighting for the people of Punta Guerra who are lack of the lack of the promises they made in 1. 0.”
Marion Ali
“ But you weren’t a part of the debate.”
Orlando Muschamp
“But the point is myself and Mr. Majeia have been fighting for Toledo and Punta Gorda and all the citizens of Punta Gorda know that, not only on election time, from time to time. Every day we wake up, we see something wrong, we cry, we cry, we cry until we get the government to do it.”
Over in Toledo West, there are two candidates. Oscar Requena has been the area representative since 2012.
Oscar Requena
Oscar Requena, P.U.P. Candidate, Toledo West
“We need to continue work on expanding education; certainly, in improving health. We also want to look at infrastructure because infrastructure continues to be a challenge because our communities are growing. We have done a lot of work in infrastructure, but the villages are expanding, so they are asking for farmers’ roads, they’re asking for additional streets, but we have done a lot of work in those areas, similarly with education. For the first time we now have total free education for the high school level.”
Alfonso Sanchez Junior is challenging Requena, with Moses ‘Shyne’ Barrow leading his campaign. Sanchez Junior is passionate about boosting rural development.
Alfonso Sanchez Jr.
Alfonso Sanchez Jr., U.D.P Candidate, Toledo West
“Toledo West has twenty-eight villages, and I would say that there are many in need when it comes to infrastructure, especially when it comes to our farmers. We depend heavily on farming, and of course, access is very important. So providing that access and improving the farm and feeder roads would certainly be a priority for us here across the Toledo West constituency; and of course, besides that, infrastructure as well. When it rains, it rains a lot and of course, access the remote communities, for example, San Benito Poite, Santa Teresa and the bridges that flood in that area – in Blue Creek and, of course, also in San Pedro, Colombia, there’s a bridge that certainly needs renovation and rebuilding. So these are some of the infrastructure developments that are very much needed for access of our people, you know, to be able to reach out to their communities.”
