Cocaine is piling up in a quiet corner of Central America as drug production rises in Colombia
Sukanti Bhave,
InSight Crime
3 hours ago
Despite limited interdiction capabilities, authorities in Belize have made a number of recent drug busts, underscoring that the Central American country is grappling with a surge in cocaine moving north from Colombia.
In early September, police in Belize confiscated 1,210 parcels of cocaine from an aircraft that took off from Venezuela and landed off the Coastal Highway near the village of La Democracia, the Gleaner reported. After a shootout, six people were arrested: four from Honduras, one from Mexico, and one from Ecuador.
This was but one in a string of recent drug busts. In March, police found 23 kilograms of cocaine on a beach at Northern Ambergris Caye, an area known for its drug-related violence, reported News 5. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams said he believed the cocaine was part of a larger shipment.
"Belize is a transshipment route for drugs. Gangs are fighting to be in charge of moving the drugs through Belize," Gen. Steven Ortega, commander of the Belize Defense Force (BDF), said to Diálogo.
More:
https://www.businessinsider.com/cocaine-seizures-rising-in-belize-as-production-rises-in-colombia-2019-9