Police are investigating the fatal stabbing incident that occurred earlier today in Hopkins Village in the Stann Creek District.
The victim has been identified as George Brown, locally known as “Guru.”
Brown was reportedly attacked and stabbed by his brother-in-law. His family expressed their loss on social media, with one of them stating, “RIP cuz dey chance u bway,” and another saying, “How ih hurt so bad breda breda I love u.”
The Belize Police Department is holding its 4th Quarter National COMPSTAT Meeting in Belmopan, where it is expected that preliminary details of this incident will be shared.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced new restrictions on live animal imports from Belize, effective January 3, 2025. This comes after Belize confirmed its first case of New World Screwworm in the country.
The USDA has prohibited the import of live ruminants, swine, and their germplasm from Belize. Dogs from Belize will be allowed entry with a health certificate confirming they have been inspected for screwworm.
Horses from Belize will need to undergo a strict screwworm treatment protocol, including quarantine, upon arrival in the U.S. “Horses imported to the United States from screwworm-free regions transiting screwworm-affected regions via air, land, or sea will require a minimum of 7 days in quarantine at an APHIS Animal Import Centre,” the USDA stated.
The Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) reported that a six-month-old Brangus heifer on a farm in Crique Sarco, Belize, was discovered with a suspicious wound on her right ear, near her ear tag. Upon closer inspection, fifty-nine larvae were removed from the wound.
Dr. Roxanna Alvarez, Animal Health Director at BAHA, reported, “No other wound was found on the animal, and no other animals in the herd presented lesions, wounds, or infestations.” The farm is now under quarantine, and the heifer’s wound has been treated.
Over 600 feet of gillnets were recently removed from Belize’s southern waters during an operation conducted by the Belize Coast Guard and Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE) rangers.
“Our rangers encountered a Belize Coast Guard vessel that was actually doing patrols in the area also—individual patrols. That Coast Guard vessel had encountered several gillnets, which of course, gillnets are banned in Belize,” said Leonardo Chavarria Jr., Executive Director of the TIDE.
According to Chavarria, the teams recovered over eight nets within two Fish Spawning Aggregation (FSA) sites, particularly within the Cayman Crown area and the Rise and Fall Bank.
Chavarria says that the gunshots fired in the area by what they believe are Guatemalan vessels were an “intimidation tactic.” He said, “It goes to show that situations could easily escalate in the area, especially when these illicit gears are being used and retrieved, because as you may know, a gillnet is very expensive. A gillnet could run up 800 plus dollars up to a thousand dollars. So if you are removing over nine gillnets, it’s already a significant amount of money.”
Chavarria added that it is common to see these types of “activities picking up during the FSA period.” During this time, fish would aggregate to reproduce in specific parts during the month of December through June every year, which “fishers would capitalise on these areas, knowing where these fish are reproducing and aggregating in big groups,” he added.
While gillnets are illegal in Belize, they remain legal in Guatemala, which leads to cross-border exploitation of the commercial species during the reproductive seasons. “The gillnets destroy all sizes of fish, and the longer you leave the gillnet there, by the time you go and retrieve it, some of the product that is on it is no longer usable,” Chavarria stated.
Chavarria also stated that the use of gillnets by non-Belizeans undermines the efforts of Belizean fishers who respect regulations and rely on sustainable fishing practices. “It is a sad reality because we are not seeing our Belizean fishers trying to exploit the fishpond and aggregation sites.”
Despite the escalation in illegal fishing, TIDE says it will continue its routine patrols and protect Belize’s fishery resources.
Commandant of the Belize Coast Guard, Rear Admiral Elton Bennett, confirmed to News 5 that Guatemalan fishers “fired what we believe were gunshots. Not in our direction, not in a direct confrontational manner, but in a threatening manner indeed.”
Yesterday, members of the Coast Guard conducted an operation in Belize’s southern waters, particularly near Corona Reef. “We are conducting a patrol from Hunting Caye, which is the furthest island to the south. And we are patrolling from that location towards the Sarstoon. This is a territorial integrity patrol that we conduct from time to time to guarantee the Belizean sovereignty over our sea spaces.”
Bennett stated that the operation included two vessels: the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE) and the other from the Belize Coast Guard.
Coast Guard officers encountered gillnets in the area, particularly near Corona Reef.
Bennett added that the fishers were already in Guatemalan waters when the shots were fired, believed to be in the air. During this operation, the Coast Guard recovered eight gillnets, totalling over 600 feet, which were causing damage to the coral reefs.
The teams separated to cover more ground. The TIDE vessel, carrying two Coast Guard personnel, reportedly started pursuing a Guatemalan fishing vessel that had entered Belizean waters. According to Bennett, after the Guatemalan vessel crossed into Guatemala’s waters, it fired gunshots—not aimed directly at them, but in a threatening manner.
He said, “Our vessel stopped short. We did not go into Guatemalan waters. We stopped short of that location. At that point, the Guatemalan fishing vessel reportedly fired what we believe were gunshots…”
No injuries were reported. “As long as our patrols are not directly threatened, the extent of our jurisdiction is the limits of our sea spaces,” Bennett stated.
This incident is not the first time that Belize Coast Guard personnel have encountered Guatemalan fishing vessels in the area. Bennett added that while there have been past cases of vessel detentions, gillnet recoveries, and arrests, it is the first time the Coast Guard has faced gunfire.
“We have seized vessels, we have recovered gillnets, we have arrested personnel. We have never before been in a situation where you would see or hear gunshots,” Bennett said.
The Executive Director of TIDE, Leonardo Chavarria Jr., told News 5 that although this has been the first encounter where shots were fired, “this will certainly not deter us from protecting our fishery resources.” He added, “We have a mandate as co-managers to protect our fishery resources.”
Where are all the car licenses? Belize City drivers want to know. Those who have undergone the tedious process of licensing their vehicles and renewing their driver’s licenses know how much of a hassle it can be. The lack of license stickers and driver’s license cards has made the process more difficult. Some drivers have been renewing their licenses at full force, only to receive a receipt for several years with no physical card or license sticker in hand.
News 5 reached out to the Chief Transport Officer of the Department of Transport, Leon Gentle, for an update. He told us that he was not in a position to comment as he is currently out of office, and assured us that the issue is expected to be rectified sometime next week.
Some drivers have been given receipts for several months, or even years, yet are still waiting for their official license cards, despite being told by the department to return in two weeks.
One driver shared a receipt dated three months ago with the note “NO lic printing at D.o.t.,” and still has not received the physical card.
“It’s very frustrating because when you have a receipt, it can get damaged or anything, and when they ask you if you lost it, then it gets frustrating,” said one driver. She added, “We are paying full price, so we expect to get it.” According to this driver, she has been trying to get her driver’s license card since 2023.
Another driver who went to renew his license at the Department of Transport, Juan Colocho, stated that for years he’s been trying to get a license card but has only been receiving a receipt instead. “Three years they don’t bring driver license, only get the receipt,” Colocho said.
It’s been less than a month into the new sugarcane crop season, and farmers in Corozal District say they continue facing a series of challenges that hinder the timely delivery of their crop to the mill.
In a letter to Prime Minister John Briceño on Monday, the Corozal Sugar Cane Producers Association (CSCPA) raised serious concerns that accessibility issues have made it difficult for farmers to meet daily mill requirements.
The CSCPA stated that while the road repairs maintenance report claims “that 90% of the roads being mentioned in the report have been now repaired,” the reality is the contrary for the farmers “on the ground.”
Just a week ago, Minister of Agriculture Jose Abelardo Mai stated that “there seems to be some type of miscommunication regarding how many sugar roads are being done.” He explained that according to the Ministry of Infrastructure, Development & Housing (MIDH), 80% of the contracts were “completed” in Corozal District, but he was receiving contrary reports from farmers. Mai assured that efforts were being made to address these issues and would “proceed to meet with the cane farmers… and we’ll go over the area to see which roads have been repaired and which have not.”
Belize Sugar Industries’ Financial Director, Shawn Chavarria, called the issue a “long-term failure,” saying, “Infrastructure is critical for any sector, any industry, especially ours, which requires transportation of their raw material to the mill. And so without the proper infrastructure, it’s difficult for us to be able to make a good start.”
Chavarria stated that the roads have been in disrepair for years, and the delays are now costing the industry. “The state of the roads is not one that just occurred this year, or the year before. It’s been successive years of inadequate maintenance and repairs,” he added.
CSCPA added that farmers already “carry out tremendous investments before the advent of all sugar cane crops,” and the combination of poor road conditions, high humidity from ongoing rains, and crop pests is “affecting sugar cane quality.”
The National Police Training Academy has certified 12 park rangers as Special Constables.
The training was supported by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). According to Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD), the training took place over ten days at Las Cuevas Research Station and covered topics like constitutional rights, criminal liability, powers of arrest, and green laws.
Rangers from Chiquibul National Park and Elijio Panti National Park participated in the program. The Forest Department, Department of the Environment, and the National Biodiversity Office also contributed lectures. At the end of the training in December 2024, the 12 rangers swore an oath during a ceremony at Las Cuevas. FCD anticipates that this training will “better support and protect the rich natural and cultural resources of the Western Maya Mountains.”
Additionally, the WWF also supported a recent leadership training that focused on enhancing the skills of 10 more rangers on “discipline and strong conservation ethics.”
The Belize City fisherman had been working alone at the fishing camp when his body was discovered by 52-year-old Fedrick Dougal. Dougal had arrived around 6 a.m. on Saturday to deliver supplies and alerted the Belize Coast Guard after finding Hyde’s body.
During a police briefing this afternoon, Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero said, “Information is that the caretaker of the island was there for a while and someone brought supplies to him. After which the body was found.”
When asked if robbery was a possible motive, Romero stated, “Nothing has been established as missing.” Authorities have also not identified any prior threats or conflicts involving Hyde.
While the area where the murder occurred is not typically a focus of patrols, Rear Admiral Elton Bennett, Commandant of the Belize Coast Guard, said that “Tuneffe itself has different characters with different groups that would normally fight over fishing turf.”
The lifeless body of 59-year-old Belize City fisherman Godfrey Hyde was discovered over the weekend on Turneffe Atoll. Hyde was found face down at a wooden fishing camp with gunshot wounds, making him the first murder victim of 2025. Hyde’s body was later taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City for a post-mortem.
Hyde’s daughter, Josephine Neal, told News 5 that she had not heard from him since he left in mid-November. She added that Hyde was expected to return home for his birthday on the 30th of November. “For some strange reason, I couldn’t get to him at no given time… I did call him for his birthday, but I didn’t get any response,” Neal added.
“His last words to me were to get his wallet from the taxi driver for me and hold on to it. That was the last time we talked,” Neal said.
According to Neal, her father was known for being social, always interacting with other fishermen. “He can be a total stranger, but he is always open. It doesn’t matter what”
She added, “Whosoever did it, I hope whatever you went there for, you got. I know he wouldn’t have fought with anybody. He would’ve given anything willingly. Even if it was something he found, he would have given it up. He wouldn’t have held on to something that is not his.”
Police continue to investigate the first murder of 2025. Over the weekend, it was reported that the lifeless body of a fisherman was found on Turneffe Atoll. The victim was identified as 59-year-old Belize City fisherman, Godfrey Hyde. Hyde was reportedly found face down on a veranda at a wooden fishing camp with gunshot wounds. Initial investigations revealed that a single expended shell was recovered from the crime scene. Hyde’s body was later transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
In an interview with the Commandant of the Belize Coast Guard, Rear Admiral Elton Bennett said, “We were alerted by another fisherman, and our patrol secured the scene. Police and forensics were called to process the site.” The body was found by 52-year-old fisherman Fedrick Dougal, who had reportedly arrived around 6 a.m. to deliver supplies. Dougal quickly alerted the Belize Coast Guard personnel stationed nearby.
According to Bennett, the area where the murder happened had no prior reports or security concerns. He said, “We would transit this camp in order to get to that location, but we have never identified this as a target area for us. So we do not know at this time why any individual would go to that location and commit such a crime.”
While the area where the murder occurred is not typically a focus of patrols, Commandant Bennett stated that “Tuneffe itself has different characters with different groups that would normally fight over fishing turf.” He added that “it is possible that activities such as drug trafficking are present” in other parts of Turneffe.
The Coast Guard is working closely with the police to support the investigation and any further operations.
