This weekend, Social Media in Belize and the local press in Guatemala lit up when news of a 45 million dollar cocaine bust was made in the area of Belize's Sapodilla Range.
The Guatemalan Navy intercepted a boat which was filled with about 1,637 kilos, or about 3,608 pounds of cocaine. Onboard were 4 Hondurans, 34 year-old Walter Orlando Portillo, 26 year-old Jose Miguel Andrade Saldivar, 42 year-old Zablo Amilcar Portillo, and 21 year-old Jeyson Julian Avila Suazo. Belizean experts say that it happened in Belizean territorial waters, but the Guatemalans say that they were caught in the Caribbean Sea.
Here's Guatemala's Vice Minister in charge of Anti-Narcotics giving a press briefing on the drug bust. We've provided English subtitles for our non-Spanish Speaking viewers:
Oscar Davila - Guatemalan Vice Minister, Anti- Narcotics
"We are very satisfied with the assistance of all the institutions that was involved, all the elite units we have in anti-narcotics. And precisely, in this case, we are very grateful for all the collaboration and cooperation that we had from the Ministry of National Defence, and from the Special Naval Force. The Special Naval Force were the operatives in the Caribbean Sea, and precisely 162 nautical miles was where the interdiction of one fast vessel, which was 
proceeding from the direction of South America, carrying a large quantity of cocaine. In the operation, it was reported to me, they captured 4 Hondurans, and also one of the next vessels, which was accompanying them, unfortunately escaped and fled into international waters, which near to Belizean waters. But nevertheless, they threw the drugs in the water, and the Special Naval Force recovered it. It resulted in a very strong, a very good bust, and they retrieved 1,637 kilos in packages. We appreciate the collaboration of the institutions that gave us good communication. It is an achievement for the country, especially for the trust that is given to the corresponding authorities to the Anti-Narcotics from Guatemala, in the flow of the information at the international level. We know that it is a coordinated inter-agency effort with international help as well. We know that the drugs were heading to Mexico, and then to North America."
We've been attempting to reach the Coast Guard bosses, but we are told that they are out of the country. We were promised a briefing from an official from the Coast Guard, but up until news time, there has been none.
The Amandala Newspaper reported in their midweek issue that they spoke with Felix Enriquez, the CEO in the Ministry of Defence. He reportedly told them that the Belizean authorities were contacted, and the Coast Guard were dispatched, but as we told you, it was the Guatemalans who caught the drug smugglers.
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