Tonight, a van is at the Ladyville police station with four flat tyres. Those were shot out early this morning as police pursued the van which was loaded with as many as a dozen illegal immigrants. Information is sketchy at this time - but we understand the persons entered through the western border on foot late last night and were reportedly facilitated in that by an Immigration officer.
From there, they jumped into a van with Orange Walk plates. Police were alerted and pursued the vehicle through the Boom Road where they made the intercept. But it wasn't that simple, they caught five persons, four males and a female, while about eight others escaped. We are told that this afternoon, some of those who escaped - all females - were found hiding out in Los Lagos. We caught footage of them as they were brought to the Ladyville police station at 5:00 pm.
Interestingly, this wasn't the only human cargo intercept that was made last night. Earlier on, Immigration authorities also pursed a similar van which was intercepted near Georgeville. The van has been impounded but we understand the passengers escaped and are being sought.
But while that investigation continues, 7 of the Boom-Raod group have been arrested and charged. And more than that, they've been arraigned and convicted of those charges.
They are 27 year-old Salvadoran Maria Deisy Leon Tobias, 17 year-old Salvadoran National, 34-year-old Jose Antonio Arevalo, a Salvadoran Farmer, 22-year-old Salvadoran National Uvaldo Antonio Alvarado Murrillo and 25-year-old Salvadoran Jose Obdulio Escobar.
These five were caught inside that van which had its tires shot out by police near the checkpoint at Mile 13 by the Boom junction on the Phillip Goldson Highway.
The other two immigrants have been identified as Honduran national, 33 year-old Rigoberto Mendoza Palma, and Salvaoran national, 19 year-old Santos Alexander Guevara Amaya.
Palma was caught by police this morning at #64 Antelope Street in Belize City while Santos Amaya was caught by Immigration officers yesterday morning at the Belize City local Novelo's Terminal as he exited an D&E bus from Benque Viejo Del Carmen.
They were all arrested and charged with illegal entry, and they were arraigned before Magistrate Adolph Lucas in the presence of a Spanish translator.
They wasted no time and pleaded guilty to the charge, and they were fine $1,000 each, which they had to pay immediately in default 1 year.
None of the 7 immigrants could pay their fine. Immigration officers escorted them to the Queen Street Police Station around 5:00 this evening where they will held until transportation to the Belize Central Prison can be made for them to spend that 1 year behind bars.
According to the authorities several of them admitted that they were on their way to the US.
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