Shocking news of a shootout around the northernmost isolated areas of North Ambergris Caye, near the Mexican border, were heard over the weekend as authorities came across some illegal activity taking place around the Rocky Point area.
The Police Press Office has sent out this report on the incident: On Saturday, July 7, 2012, about 3:30p.m. a joint Armed Forces Operation was launched about one mile North of the Rocky Point area on Ambergris Caye, Belize, where they saw four male persons near the coastline behaving suspicious.
As a result, the joint operation stormed the area where the male persons opened fire at the members of the joint operation who took cover in the nearby bushes and returned fire. The exchange of fire lasted about ten minutes after which the joint operation conducted a search of the surroundings where they found the motionless bodies of two Hispanic males. One male was described as having a low haircut, wearing a black T-Shirt, an aqua boxers, a camouflage jacket and pants, no foot wear with apparent gunshot wounds and the second male was wearing a black T-shirt, an orange boxer, a camouflage jacket and pants, a black Air brand right foot tennis shoe with two suspected gunshot wounds.
The body of a dark complexioned Creole descent male was also found. He had twisted hair wearing a light blue boxer, a camouflage jacket and pants and a black pair of protege brand tennis shoes. He has since been identified as 18-year-old Kendal Flowers, of the Yarborough Area in Belize City who is known by Belize City Police and affiliated to one of the gangs in Belize City.
A fourth person of Hispanic descent was seen running away from the area in the nearby bushes. A search was conducted in order to apprehend this person, but it resulted fruitless.
At the scene, where the three male persons were lying motionless, the joint operations team found (1) M-16 Rifle S/N 4806071, (2) M4 Carbine Rifles S/N unknown, (7) 9mm Aguila brand live rounds ammunitions, (21) .223 REM brand, (24) .223 WCC brand, (9) .223 Aguila brand and (1) .223 LC08 brand – making it a total of (115) .223 live rounds of ammunition, (4) 30 rounds capacity empty magazine, (1) 20 rounds capacity empty magazine, (21) 5.56 expended shells, (7) .223 expended shells, (2) black bullet proof vest, (2) black BUSH NELL brand binoculars, (1) camouflage jacket, (369) grams of cannabis and (1) 9 mm empty magazine were found and confiscated by the police. Commander of the Belize Coast Guard Elton Bennett reported that the M-16 Rifle with serial number 4806071 is one that went missing from the Belize Defense Force headquarters last year.
On Sunday, July 8, 2012, at about 6:00a.m. all three bodies were transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where they were pronounced dead upon arrival. A joint team of Crimes Investigation Branch personnel, along with Scenes of Crime Technician visited the scene where the crime scene was processed and all items were taken into custody and labeled as exhibits. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
In a radio interview with Love FM News in Belize City, Prime Minister Hon. Dean Barrow addressed the situation by stating that the National Security Council stepped up transit activities in that area and mandated a new campaign to try to deal with illegal activity that they knew was increasing in the area.
He commented that authorities know of these drug related activities but assures residents that this does not mean that the Mexican drug war is spilling into our waters; it’s just known that Belize is a gateway for Mexican and Colombian drug trafficking. He assured Belizeans that government is putting together as much resources as possible to combat this type of activities on the country’s shorelines.
UPDATE BODIES IDENTIFIED, JULY 10, 2012
At 11:00am on July 10, 2012, the two male Hispanic bodies were identified by the Police Department. One has been confirmed as being Alexander Mazariegos aka “Alex”, 22 yrs, laborer who was identified to the Police by his sister Seleni Mazariegos both of #4 Costa Rica Street, Salvapan Area, Belmopan City. Likewise the other Hispanic male person was identified as Alley Ismael Garcia, 23yrs, laborer who was identified by his sister Zoila Garcia both of #13 Saint Paul Street, Belmopan City. Both Alexander Mazariegos and Alley Garcia have several charges of Robbery that were pending at the Belmopan Magistrate Court.
