A significant arrest in Houston has intensified scrutiny regarding the penetration of transnational criminal networks within Belize. U.S. immigration authorities detained Benigno Loria, a Belizean national, on Tuesday. While official American law enforcement sources have publicly connected Loria to the notoriously violent Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), authorities in Belize have yet to formally confirm this specific affiliation.
The incident has revitalized persistent anxieties over the expanding influence of international cartels in the Central American region. Providing critical insight, former Belize Commissioner of Police Chester Williams revealed that Loria was already a known entity to Belizean security forces. Williams indicated that Loria had been under surveillance for a considerable period due to his suspected associations with organized criminal factions operating from Mexico.
Williams stated, ‘I don’t want to comment much about it at this time, but certainly, yes, he was on our radar. We have indeed gathered information that he was connected to one of the cartel groups in Mexico. His capture came as no surprise.’ The former Commissioner suggested that Loria may have been attempting to seek asylum in the United States prior to his detention. Williams emphasized that Loria’s apprehension underscores the indispensable need for continued and robust cross-border collaboration to preserve stability and security in Belize.