Yesterday we told you about the current criminal climate in Chetumal, where warring cartels have descended on the city and causing narco violence - including killing a police officer.
With Chetumal so close to Corozal - and particularly the Free Zone, Belizeans have been concerned whether that narco activity will trickle - or maybe even flood - into Belize.
A photo of a banner with a threatening message written on it, stating that all the people on the Rio Hondo River and the Belize Corozal Free Zone belong to the narcos has residents worried. Although sources tell us the photo first surfaced a year ago, it has caused major panic.
That led to a high-level security meeting within the police department today. The Commissioner explained that while they met with officers, ministers, and stakeholders, the Corozal Free Zone is still safe for shoppers and employees.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"There is some cause for concern by Belizeans in the event that what is happening there may trickle into Belize and while we can look at the information coming out of there as reliable, there is also some that is not reliable. We know how your colleagues in the media can be at time but as the security apparatus of the country, it is important that we meet and so we met this morning to discuss our strategy in terms of how we are going to address the issues locally. There is no cause for concern nor alarm as there is no information at this time to indicate that any of the players from Chetumal have or is coming into the country but just as a means of precaution to give the Belizean people that sense of safety and security we met to discuss how we're going to deploy our resources in the northern area and see how we can reorganize our current northern operations to make sure that we can cover as much ground as we can. Our team, police and BDF, remain extremely vigilant, along the irregular border crossing as well as the regular border crossing so there is where we are at this time."
Courtney Menzies:
"But at this time there have been no threats made against anyone in the Corozal Free Zone or in Corozal itself?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"No, at this time, no. We did have an operation in the Free Zone yesterday where we had seen two vehicles that had been left abandoned and we went to retrieve those vehicles, when we got there, the owners came out and the vehicles were checked, they were legitimate vehicles, and the owners were also checked as well and so those vehicles were released to their respective owners."
Reporter:
"So you would not say then that the Free Zone is compromised by Cartel operatives from Mexico?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"At this time no, the Free Zone is very safe, the security of the Free Zone is in place and the police goes there now and then we also have a team of police officers who work the Free Zone area and so far all remains in order at the Free Zone."
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