| PUP Candidate Jose Mai won what many are calling a surprising victory in Orange Walk South two days ago - beating wealthy businessman Rosendo Urbina by more than 300 votes.
But two days after winning the election - he got into trouble with Mexican authorities.
This afternoon, we received a stream of reports saying that Mai was intercepted at the Chetumal border crossing with a firearm - which is a very serious offence in Mexico because even if the gun is licensed in Belize, once it cross the border it is considered unlicensed.
It is a military checkpoint and we have confirmed with the Prime Minister that that no less than the commander of Belize's Army - General Dario Tapia called a General in Mexico and got them to release Mai on the condition that he produces proper documentation for the weapon.
But Mai says no such thing, he was driving a vehicle without license plates.
When he was released back into Belize today - he spoke to us by telephone:
Jules Vasquez
"We received a report earlier on that you were held in Chetumal with a gun, that it was your licensed weapon, but you may have forgotten it. And you went over there with a gun."
Jose Mai - Briefly Detained by Mexican Authorities
"Jules, that's absolutely not true. There was an unfortunate incident in Chetumal. It was regarding my vehicle. I had an incident where I lost the license plate for the front, and during the election rush, the back license plate fell off. Unfortunately, I didn't have the proper documentation for a my vehicle at that time, but they did ask me to present to them the documents, and I called my family in Orange Walk. They brought the documents in an hour's time, it was presented, and it was okay with them. So, it was no problem, just an hour and a half delay, but it was no problem. I went and did my business in Chetumal, I came back home, and I am getting ready for my rally tonight."
Jules Vasquez
"Okay, but as I understand it, you were held at the boarder point on side of the road at the military checkpoint."
Jose Mai
"I was held by officer. Yes, they asked me to present documents, which I did."
Jules Vasquez
"So, just to make it extremely clear, you were not travelling with a licensed weapon."
Jose Mai
"Absolutely not."
Mai says he does own a licensed weapon in Belize and knows well that he cannot take it across the border.
But while it's a little early in Mai's elected political career to accuse him of public fibbing - we do note that the Prime Minister this evening told us that he knows of the incident because the Commander of the BDF informed the PM that he was asked to intervene because Mai had been caught with a gun under his car seat.
We note also that when we first spoke to Mai's political colleague John Briceno about the incident this afternoon, he told us that Mai had been caught with his licensed weapon in Mexico - but that it had been worked out.
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