Marin Warns Cartels Are Outpacing Region at Miami Security Summit

Belize put regional security squarely on the table today as Defense Minister Florencio Marin Jr. used a high‑profile stage in Miami to warn that cartel networks are moving faster and farther than ever. Addressing U.S. and hemispheric security leaders at the first‑ever Americas Counter Cartel Conference, Marin said the region can only keep pace with transnational crime if countries respond with the same level of coordination and urgency that criminal groups already wield.

 

Florencio Marin Jr., Minister of National Defense

“On behalf of the government and people of Belize, I extend sincere appreciation to the United States for convening this timely and important conference here in Miami. I thank the leadership of the Department of War for bringing us together around a shared purpose, strengthening our collective response to cartel activity and transnational crime across the western hemisphere. For Belize, this is not abstract. As a small, but strategically located nation, bridging Central America and the Caribbean, we sit along key maritime and overland routes exploited by criminal networks. These networks traffic narcotics, weapons, and human beings. They undermine governance, distort economies, fuel corruption and erode the safety and confidence of our citizens. Cartels and transnational criminal organizations do not respect our borders. They adapt quickly, leveraging technology, exploiting institutional gaps and moving seamlessly across jurisdictions. Our response, therefore, must be equally adaptive, coordinated and resolute. Belize remains firmly committed to a comprehensive security strategy that combines strong border protection, maritime domain awareness, intelligence-led operations and close interagency collaboration. We are investing in the professionalization of our defense and security forces, strengthening our legal framework and enhancing our operations with regional and international partners. But no nation, in particular, Belize, can confront this threat alone.”

 

BDF Tightens Border as Cartel Violence Spreads

 

Here at home, the Belize Defense Force isn’t waiting for trouble to reach the border, it’s already tightening its stance. With cartel violence erupting just across the Río Hondo after the killing of Mexican kingpin Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, the BDF has moved quickly to shore up its northern presence. The spike in executions in neighboring Quintana Roo has Belizean authorities on alert, and Prime Minister John Briceño has even turned to the United States for backup amid the growing instability. Brigadier General Anthony Velasquez said today that troops are tracking every development in Mexico and adjusting their posture to ensure any fallout stays on the other side of the line.

 

Brigadier General Anthony Velasquez, Commander, Belize Defense Force

“It is a bit multi-layered, so we have intelligence driven operations. So, we are monitoring the situation from an intelligence point of view. We have communication with our Mexican counterparts. So, anything that is happening over the border we know instantly. We also have an increase in troops in the northern border under Operation Northern Fortress. Just recently we received vehicles and ATVs to bolster our presence and patrol in the north. Also there was a building donated at the Corozal Freezone which we will be occupying very soon as well. So, we are monitoring the situation. We have enough troops to deal with anything that pops up. And if anything big happens we can reinforce the north with more soldiers. We just had an intake pass out. We are having a new intake coming in this month. So our numbers are increasing and if anything happens we can bolster that northern area.”

 

Reporter

“What is your understanding of any realistic threat based on what is happening in Mexico , especially in Jalisco with the killing of one of the cartel leaders.”

 

Brigadier General Anthony Velasquez

“The threat is real, it is real because it is happening in Mexico. So the threat is there. We have noticed over the past few years that there have been and you have reported it on the news. There have been certain cartel linked violence in the northern part of Belize. That is why we have bolsters our operations, increased our intelligence in the north and we are prepared to deal with anything that might happen in the north. Nothing has happened and we are vigilant and so far there is no indication of any increase in any activity within Belize due to cartel activity in Mexico.”

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

Watch the full newscast here: