Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman
Is infamous Mexican drug lord Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman headed to Belize? While that is the speculation on various Mexican news outlets, there is no indication at the moment that the boss of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel, who broke out of a maximum security prison in Altiplano on Saturday, is indeed traveling this way. Local authorities, however, say they are taking no chances, and the Ministry of National Security has increased safety measures across all border points, including the Belize/Mexico border. Elsewhere in the region, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador have also beefed up security measures. Rumors of El Chapo’s flight to Belize are widespread, insinuating that the long arms of Mexico’s most violent drug gang have extended into the country, where he is being harbored by associates of the Sinaloa Cartel who the US identified in Belize in 2012. While an all-points bulletin has been issued in the event that EL Chapo does surface in Belize, CEO George Lovell told News Five today that the ministry is in communication with U.S. and Mexican authorities to devise a plan of action. According to Lovell, a memo was sent to Minister of National Security John Saldivar immediately following Saturday’s daring jailbreak.
George Lovell
Ret. Col. George Lovell, C.E.O., Ministry of National Security
“We were informed of the escape of El Chapo Guzman on Saturday when it occurred, the eleventh of July. Our special branch and their intelligence have a very good, established network and whenever any incidents like these would occur immediately there is communication and that has been established and that has been done. So, from Saturday our police officers were informed. It was brought to my attention that a written notice of the escape has also been provided to the Minister of National Security, the honorable John Saldivar yesterday and I do have a copy of that notice that was given to us by our Mexican embassy. When we received that information from Saturday, the Commissioner of Police was informed and he in turn sent out an all-points bulletin to all his formations. So countrywide, especially at the border areas: Santa Elena in Corozal, in Benque and down south in Punta Gorda and even in San Pedro, all our points of entry have been on alert based on that bulletin that was sent out. We have been communicating with our Mexican counterparts and from all indication there is not anything to suggest that Guzman is in fact traveling at this point in time, especially towards us. And so we are on alert, our people are notified and if we are to come in contact with anything that requires for the Mexicans or for the authorities to act then I believe that we are poised to act and to act in a very swift manner.”
View the full article