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Fatal Shooting Happened During A "Wet Drop" Crack Down
Tue, December 16, 2014
Tonight 6 men are detained as the result of a police sweep of Northern Ambergris Caye. This is part of an operation that was launched over the weekend to crack down on illegal narcotics activity on the north end of the island - due to increased "wet-drop" activity. Yesterday the law enforcement operation resulted in the fatal shooting of Peter Castillo. He was shot by the Coast Guard who say they were forced to fire after he pointed this pump action shot gun at them - as seen in the san Pedro Sun.

Today his family came from Punta Gorda to Belize city for the post mortem and his aunt spoke to Daniel Ortiz:..

Alfonsa Castillo, aunt of deceased
"Listening to the news last night when they said Peter Castillo, I immediately call his father in PG who is my cousin and I ask him if it's true and he said yes my sister, that is how we greet each other because we are old. So he said yes my sister, its Peter. So I ask what was Peter doing in San Pedro and he replied that he went to look for a job."

Commander Elton Bennett - Vice Commandant, Belize National Coast Guard
"The Coast Guard identified three armed men approaching the Patrol Habour location. The patrol sentry then verbally challenge the three armed men that were approaching the area and instructed them to stop and put down their firearms. Two of the men turned away and escaped whilst the third who was armed with a shotgun, raised his shotgun as though he had intensions of engaging the patrol. One of the member of the patrol then open fire on that individual fatally wounding him."

Daniel Ortiz
"Does that sound anything like the Peter you know?"

Alfonsa Castillo, aunt of deceased
"Honestly, no. On a whole Peter was raised by my mom which is his grand aunt and you know raising up with your grandmother, you will listen. So, Peter was well brought up. So, at the end of the day I don't understand how Peter reached San Pedro or how he got into what happened to his yesterday. Honestly I don't know."

Daniel Ortiz
"Was he hanging out with anybody that you know of is that is on strange character that you would not approve of?"

Alfonsa Castillo, aunt of deceased
"No, not that I know of."

Commander Elton Bennett
"Patrol commander reported that this individual who got shot, of the three men, he was the one who raised his firearm as though he had intensions of engaging the patrol. It was for this reason that that individual got shot. The other two turned their backs and fled. They fled in the opposition direction away from the patrol and for this reason, the patrol did not engage the fleeing men."

Daniel Ortiz
"Do you believe the story that the Coast Guard has presented?"

Alfonsa Castillo, aunt of deceased
"No, I don't."

Daniel Ortiz
"What causes you to doubt their version?"

Alfonsa Castillo, aunt of deceased
"Because the understanding that I got from his older brother who is in BDF, he said when he went to the morgue his hands were up, like he was surrendering. So, how could they shoot a man who is surrendering? That's my thing."

Daniel Ortiz
"So you concede that the times when you guys weren't around, he could have been participating in illegal activities? Do you concede that, because you don't know for sure."

Alfonsa Castillo, aunt of deceased
"Well I won't put my head on the block because when you have your loved ones who anybody who you are familiar with around, they show you a different picture. But, honestly I believe Peter is not that kind of person. I guess he was following friends or something of that sort. That is all I could say; he must have been following friends."

Commander Elton Bennett
"This is the first time that the Coast Guard has come in contact with this individual. We understand that the police in San Pedro, for some reason, had some contact with him a few weeks ago."

Witnesses in the area told the Sun that over a dozen shots were fired and they are looking for the persons who were with Castillo to charge them for attempted murder.

Presently, the activity called "playar" - or beachcombing is very active because of recent cocaine drops - or wet drops in the area. Every day and night, playadors or beachcombers from two San Pedro based drug camps scour the beach at the north end for any floating parcels of drugs.

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