Belize Police Strengthen Presence at Northern Border to CombatCartel Threat

On May 3, 2024, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams announced that the Belize Police Department is re-strategizing to prevent cartel activity from spreading to Belize from Chetumal, Mexico. In an interview with 7News Belize, Williams stated that the police are taking proactive measures to strengthen their presence at the Northern Border and maintain constant operations to prevent cartel operatives from seeking refuge in Belize.

Why this matters: The spread of cartel activity can have devastating consequences for the safety and security of citizens, and Belize's proactive approach sets a crucial precedent for regional cooperation in combating organized crime. As the situation in Chetumal continues to escalate, the success of Belize's operational plan will have significant implications for thestability of the region.

The Commissioner emphasized the importance of being proactive, stating,"While we do understand and recognize that we're still not going to take anything for granted and that the reason why we met yesterday with the Minister of Home Affairs as well as the Minister of Defense to look at what we're doing up in the north and re-strategize to some extent, strengthen our presence to make sure that in the event the cartels may decide that they want to move to Belize to seek refuge from what is taking place in Chetumal, that we will be in position to prevent them from doing so."

"Another important thing that we must do is to make sure that those persons in Belize who we know are operatives of the cartel, we have to ensure that we maintain constant presence on them in the sense of doing operations, searching and these sort of things to make them not be comfortable to want to bring anybody over to Belize and so those are things that we're doing as a part of our operational plan to ensure that we can deal with any eventuality should that arise," said Williams.

The recent surge in cartel activities in Chetumal has raised concerns in Belize, as the neighboring city is a popular tourist destination for Belizeans. Earlier in the week, 200 military personnel were deployed to Chetumal following the daylight murder of a businessman and an active-duty police officer on busy streets in the city.

Belize's Ambassador to Mexico, Oscar Arnold, attributes the surge in cartel activities to a feud between rival gangs and advises Belizeans to exercise caution when traveling across the northern border. The developments have already impacted tourism and business, with some Belizeans avoiding travel to Chetumal due to safety concerns. Money exchangers at the Corozal-Mexico border have reported a drastic decline in business, and bus operators have seen a decline in commuters.

The Belize Police Department's operational plan aims to combat the potential threat and ensure the safety and security of Belizeans. By strengthening their presence at the Northern Border and targeting known cartel operatives, the police hope to prevent the spillover of violent crimes into Belize. As Commissioner Williams stated, the police are determined to "deal with any eventuality" that may arise from the ongoing cartel activities in Chetumal.

Key Takeaways

• Belize Police Department re-strategizes to prevent cartel activity from spreading from Chetumal, Mexico.
• Police strengthen presence at Northern Border and target known cartel operatives.
• Recent surge in cartel activities in Chetumal raises concerns for Belizean safety and security.
• Belize's operational plan aims to combat potential threat and ensure citizen safety.
• Police determined to "deal with any eventuality" arising from Chetumal's cartel activities.