BDF Staff Sergeant Richard Lambey continues to recover from his injuries which he suffered on Holy Saturday. He was ambushed near the Western Border in the Caracol Archaeological Reserve, a short distance away from the Valentin Conservation Post which adjoins the Guatemalan village of La Rejoya.
The government has not released any additional details on the incident, but an internal report written by the BDF to National Security CEO George Lovell was leaked to the media late last week.
That report, dated March 31, confirms that the soldiers were ambushed by 7 men believed to be Guatemalan Nationals. 3 of them were armed with weapons which resembled .22 rifles. The patrol was on its way to conduct a water re-supply mission at the only water source nearby. That water source is in Belizean territory, about 343 meters east of the border. Staff Sergeant Lambey, who was the Valentin Patrol Commander, reportedly identified 3 separate groups of armed men on both sides of the trail.
The BDF report says that the assailants ordered Lambey to stop, and then one of the gunmen fired at him. He returned bursts of fire, and the BDF estimate that he unloaded about 30 rounds from his service rifle. The other members of the Valentin Patrol were not present for the ambush, which, according to our informed sources, is unusual, since out in the jungle and forests, the soldiers have a safety protocol to move in numbers and to post at least one soldier as a look out.
The other members of the Valentin Patrol were alerted by the gunfire, and when they responded, they found Lambey injured to the hand and midsection. He was immediately extracted and rushed for medical attention.
The BDF soldiers have since gone back to the location of the ambush, and they found 26 expended shells of 5.56 mm ammunition, believed to be BDF issued. There was only one .22 expended shell, believed to have been fired by Staff Sergeant Lambey's assailant. Lambey is nearing retirement and was reportedly on one of his last bush patrols.
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