For the past 19 days, soldiers from Jamaica, Canada, and the US have been in Belize for an annual joint military training. It's called Operation "Tropical Dagger", and the idea is to prepare these different militaries to work together against terrorism and transnational organized crime.
For this month-long training, instructors are here from the Canadian Land Forces, with observers from Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana and Jamaica.
And today there was more observer: the Belize media. We went out to Chan Pine Ridge, Orange Walk where we saw how these militaries would work together to capture a cartel kingpin, if he was ever to try and hide out in Belize. Daniel Ortiz has that story:
Daniel Ortiz reporting
Overhead, we saw only choppers flying off after they had already delivered the troops who were participating in this simulated operation. They were practicing what it would be like if the BDF were called in to capture a drug cartel boss.
Col. Steven Ortega - Acting Commander, BDF
"What happen, they've been tracking a drug lord for the past month and what happened back in base, they do planning, preparation, reconnaissance and from there they come up with a plan. What you saw was the plan being executed and we had ground troops coming in and infiltrating by ground and then the assault force coming in by the helicopter to clear certain buildings to capture the drug lord."
From our vantage point, chosen for safety reasons, we saw several different teams moving into position, heavily armed, as if expecting that such a high level target would be in the company of hostile and dangerous bodyguards. Soldiers started entered the first building, while another stayed outside.
Over head, a chopper was circling. We don't know if they were assessing the performance from the air, or they were part of the operation, give the teams a bird's eye view of the combat area.
Minutes later teams of soldiers quickly moved over to the other building, and we heard the sound of gunshots.
It appeared that the soldiers, came under fire from hostile elements. We didn't actually get to see what was happening inside that building.
Shortly after that, members of the teams position themselves, if they were defending the area, just in case any reinforcements arrived.
At the final building on the compound, one of the soldiers kicked open the door, and they all go in.
Minutes go by, and when they exited, one team had a man restrained. It appeared that their intel was solid, and the high-priority target was captured alive. Others were bringing bags with them, most likely evidence.
Their evacuation chopper then landed nearby, and this team of soldiers put their prisoner inside.
They all got onboard, and the flight took off, their mission a success.
This training exercise makes up a part of a Joint Military Training called Tropical Dagger. In it, the BDF are working with security forces from Jamaica, Canada and the US.
Col. Steven Ortega - Acting Commander, BDF
"As they come in they train the troops and then they have a final exercise at the end to showcase what they have learned. What you have just fitness was a combined and inter-agency approached to this exercise. Combined meaning more than one countries. We have the Canadians, we have the Jamaicans and we have Belizeans. Inter-agency meaning you have the BDF, the Coast Guard and the police operating as one unit and that's what the training led up so that they can accomplish what their missing was at the time. Countering transnational crime and terrorism so that was the main focus of the exercise. Troops can actually coordinate what they need to do in terms of training techniques procedures to ensure that they are all seeing off the same sheet basically."
Reporter
"How much percentage of the training was practical compared to theory basically?"
Col. Steven Ortega - Acting Commander, BDF
"It is theory in the classroom and practical right after so it's about half, half."
Daniel Ortiz, reporter
"Does this particular type of opportunity and operation provide an opportunity to the BDF to see how the other forces work and possibly collaborate if there's any major operation that needs to take place where Belize has to be a part of it?"
Col. Steven Ortega - Acting Commander, BDF
"That's the aim of this exercise in order to ensure the coordination is there especially between us and the Jamaica's. They are both part of CARICOM and RSS so should an occasion arise and we have to work together, we have some sort of training to conduct that type of operation."
The training ends next week Thursday.
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