Mother and Son Under Investigation After Guns and Ammo Bust at Northern Border
A Belizean public officer and her son, a U.S. Army veteran, are under investigation after customs officers discovered high-powered weapons and ammunition at the Santa Elena border in Corozal District.
The two were present during a routine inspection of loose cargo arriving from the United States. Customs officers, expecting personal items, instead found ammunition concealed in one of the boxes.
All items were handed over to police. An investigation is now underway into the failed smuggling attempt.
The bust comes as regional authorities intensify efforts to crack down on illegal firearms. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), with support from the European Union and France, recently launched a joint firearms training programme in Trinidad and Tobago to combat arms trafficking and organised crime.
CARICOM IMPACS Executive Director Lt. Col. Michael Jones said illicit guns fuel violence and destabilise the region. He stated that over 22,000 illegal firearms and 300,000 rounds of ammunition were seized in CARICOM countries between 2009 and 2018. U.S. tracing data also revealed that 73 percent of recovered firearms in the Caribbean from 2018 to 2022 originated in the United States.
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