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Whatever the case, the United States government is grateful and today a US Marshall came to Belmopan to personally award three officers who were instrumental in catching an accused - now convicted killer named Patrick Anthony Brown. Constable Nervin Velez, Sergeant Sherwood Wade and Corporal Robert Martinez were each given special wards today in a ceremony at the US Embassy in Belmopan. 7news was there:..

H.E. Vinai Thummalapally, United States Ambassador to Belize
"We are grateful for all their hard work and proud of their recognition by the Marshall Service. The fugitive that they helped to capture was wanted for stabbing a man to death in Boston back in 1995, and was hiding in southern Belize. However, with the help of the community and these police officers. Patrick Brown was brought to justice. He pleaded guilty and now faces a mandatory life sentence in prison."

Police Minister Doug Singh
"I think they were quick thinking and recognizing the individual who was about to get on a boat, I believe to head off to Guatemala and I believe he had in his possession a Costa Rican, and what might have been a fake Costarican passport because it had someone else's name on it.

"That the quick thinking and the actions of the officer I think definitely contributed to him being captured and he faced justice at the end of the day and we congratulate you for that. I am particularly pleased in this occasion because I think you made us proud as a department, beyond the recognition you have gotten for yourself and for that we are grateful."

H.E. Vinai Thummalapally, United States Ambassador to Belize
"Last year alone, fourteen fugitives were returned to the United States with Belize ranking number two worldwide in fugitive returns."

Police Minister Doug Singh
"I was unaware that we were number two and I guess I was not keeping track of the numbers that was fourteen. That is a little bit alarming in one context to believe that such a small country can have so many people or we can be almost to the top the list of the individuals that has to be returned."

Jules Vasquez
"Should there be some quid pro quo? We do so much leg work for the United States in their pursuit of justice. Should there be at the other end some work done for us or some equivalent reciprocal effort?"

Police Minister Doug Singh
"Well there are in some cases perhaps we can say it may not be enough, certainly we can use more, in particular, in the context in policing, but you are aware that the CARSI (Central American Regional Security Initiative), I think we have approximately five million Belize dollars we can draw, I might be wrong on the number but it might be greater than that, that we can actually draw down in a number of areas. It's not just for police but it also goes for prisons, it goes for coastguards and other areas in the judiciary and they have been supporting it. It takes a little bit of work to try and get the funds, but they have been supportive. I certainly think we can get more, when you compare to what is distributed regionally, I think we do get a small amount and I think our geographic location should give us a greater level of importance because we are an important part of that funnel that leads right into Mexico."

The Central American Regional Security Initiative is considered so deficient for some Central American countries that an autonomous security mechanism is being put together as a matter of urgency by SICA. Central American - Belize included - is now considered the most deadly region on earth…