A shootout between the Belize National Coast Guard and five civilians resulted in one man being shot. The incident happened in the Rocky Point Area in Ambergris Caye on Saturday morning at about 7:30am when the Coast Guard was on patrol. Love News has confirmed that that three of the five men are currently detained by Police while the other two are believed to have escaped across the border. Vice Commandant of the Belize Coast Guard, Lieutenant Commander Elton Bennett, told Love News what transpired and that the presence of the coast guard in that area may have prevented a drug trade.
LT. CMMDR. ELTON BENNETT
“The Coast Guard was conducting special operations in the area of North Ambergris Caye; this is about one mile south of the Belize/Mexican Border where the patrol was conducting foot patrol and we spotted 5 men in an area near the old Fisheries Station. We approached the area and one of the five men fired shots at the patrol. The patrol returned fire and secure the area and whilst we were returning one of the men got shot. We were able to detain three of the five individuals. The one individual who got shot was taken to San Pedro Polyclinic. We found a small amount of marijuana and some information that we determined to be useful for follow up Operations.”
HIPOLITO NOVELO
“What kind of weapons did these individuals have?”
LT. CMMDR. ELTON BENNETT
“We believe it was a small arm; one of the individuals who got away was the one who fired shots. It sounded like a small arm. However we do believe that we disrupted a major drug operation that was scheduled to go on in that area. It was a counter drug operation and we believe that our presence in that area was to deter a transaction from occurring. We conduct the regular operation in that area. Our presence up there is felt; from time to time you get reports of the Coast Guard operations in that area and it’s an area that is heavily trafficked by illegal activities and we continue to operate in that area. So it is something that is ongoing and we will always continue to focus in that area.”
Love News understands that one of the men, 25 year old Jason Edwards received a gunshot wound to the buttocks. Also detained are 20 year old Leonardo Williams and 22 year old Guillermo Salazar pending charges. In the area the coast guard found two hundred and seventy grams of marijuana. Police believe that the five men are residents of San Pedro Town. Also, Jorge Aldana, a reporter for a local newspaper, the San Pedro Suns who happened on the scene and he told us that he was physically mistreated by one of the members of the coast guard. Bennett spoke about the matter.
LT. CMMDR. ELTON BENNETT
“We did in fact take away his camera; we deleted the photograph of the individuals who were on that patrol. From our point of view that was very irresponsible of that individual/media personnel; he should be well aware that once a live operation is happening that he should not be taking pictures, photographs or video of any of those individuals especially the faces as this would compromise their security forces. So what we did, we were justified in doing so. He is not allowed to take pictures of those individuals on operations.”
HIPOLITO NOVELO
“He also said that they physically assaulted him?”
LT. CMMDR. ELTON BENNETT
“No, that is not the case and there was no physical contact whatsoever. They took away his camera deleted his photographs and gave him back his camera in good order.”
In a press release issued by the San Pedro Sun this evening, says that it is reserving further comment until all parties involved- that is the San Pedro Police Department, the Coast Guard and the San Pedro Suns- have properly conducted their own investigations. And after that is completed, the Sun says that it will then issue a full story of the incident.