7 News Belize

Authorities Say Human Trafficker Caught
posted (November 29, 2012)
48 year-old Guatemalan National Rolando Velasquez Darbon, is in custody tonight because he is being investigated as possibly being part of an international human trafficking ring.

According to immigration authorities, acting on information they visited the Belize City Bus terminal yesterday, where they detained a young man, later learned to be Jose Evelio Hernandez Ayala, a Salvadoran national.

When they asked the man to produce immigration documents, he couldn't, but he told them that someone was supposed to bring them for him very soon.

The officers set up an impromptu sting operation where they caught Darbon in the act of trying to furnish a Salvadoran passport and visa later discovered to be fake documents.

Both men were detained and question where it was discovered that Darbon smuggled Ayala into the country illegally, and produced the documents for him to try to get past all immigration checks.

As a result, both men were arrested, and Darbon was charged with aiding and abetting a person to enter the country illegally. Ayala was charged with illegal entry and using a passport he was not entitled to.

Both men were arraigned today before Magistrate Adolph Lucas where they both pleaded guilty to the offences. Darbon was sentenced to pay a fine of $3,000 forthwith or 3 years in prison if he defaults. Ayala was fined $1,000 for each conviction, which he had to pay forthwith or risk 2 years in prison if he defaulted. Additionally, a removal order was granted for his expulsion from the country.

The immigration authorities believe that Darbon is a known human trafficking agent who specializes in transporting illegal persons. As a result, he will be investigated further by Belizean and US Embassy Authorities, and he will remain in detention during that time.

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