The Raid That Pulled a Guatemalan Teen from Captivity in Belize

Police are calling it a major win, and Home Affairs CEO Elton Bennett says the operation worked because officers stuck to the plan, they waited for solid intelligence, avoided rushing in, and moved only when they were ready. The case centers on a fourteen-year-old Guatemalan girl who went missing in Petén, Guatemala, in January 2026 and was found in Belize during “Operation Safe Return.” The Belize Police Department and the Belize Special Assignment Group (BSAG) carried out the early-morning raid on April twenty-first, at a farm behind San Roman Village in Stann Creek, and rescued the child. Bennett praised BSAG’s approach, describing it as deliberate and disciplined, with intelligence-gathering and surveillance guiding the final push into the house where officers located the girl.

 

Elton Bennett, CEO, Ministry of Home Affairs

“That was an outstanding operation. I think the information was well handled, the intelligence came in and we did not act prematurely. It was deliberate planning on [the part of] the Belize Special Assignments Group. They did their intelligence surveillance and they planned based on the different courses of action that were available to them. They went into the house and they were able to rescue that child. That is remarkable work on the security forces’ part.”

 

Reporter

“What about the fact that the person escaped but left behind a firearm, I’m not sure what else…”

 

Elton Bennett

“So, he’s still wanted and we’re still looking for him. We will do everything we can to recapture him, but the fact that we are able to free that victim is something that we are very happy with. We’re very pleased with the performance of our forces in that regard.”

 

Police say Jose Gilberto Duarte slipped away; officers are still trying to track him down.

 

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.

 

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