On a Wednesday fishing excursion off the coast of Belize at Ranguana Caye, a routine work trip ended in sudden tragedy, leaving one experienced fisherman dead and another hospitalized, with conflicting narratives from law enforcement and the victim’s family clouding the early investigation. The deceased has been identified as 35-year-old Jose Arteaga, a long-time fisherman from Belize City, while his 33-year-old relative Marvin Arteaga remains in medical care following the incident.
Authorities with Belize’s law enforcement have stated that the fatal violence erupted after a verbal altercation broke out between several fishermen on board the working vessel. Following the attack, officers have taken a 33-year-old fisherman into custody for questioning as the prime suspect in the case. However, the Arteaga family is pushing back against this official account, offering a starkly different version of the events that unfolded on the boat that day.
In an exclusive interview with local outlet News Five, Arteaga’s niece shared the family’s understanding of what led to the killing, disputing claims that any pre-existing argument or conflict preceded the attack. According to the niece, who recounted accounts from the other 13 crew members on the vessel, the suspect was intoxicated at the time of the attack, and there was no tension between the men on the trip. All crew members had been in good spirits, she said, as they went about their daily fishing work.
Her account lays out a sudden, unprovoked attack: after Arteaga finished washing his diving gear, the suspect threw the equipment overboard. When Arteaga turned to retrieve his property from the water, the suspect stabbed him from behind without warning. Marvin Arteaga, she added, was stabbed in the chest while he was asleep below deck, with no opportunity to avoid the attack. The other crew members on board were able to subdue the attacker immediately after the stabbings, she confirmed.
The niece also remembered Jose Arteaga as a devoted, responsible father of five who dedicated all of his effort to providing for his children, noting that he kept to himself and had no ongoing disputes with the suspect. As of the latest update, Marvin Arteaga remains hospitalized but is in stable condition, with medical teams monitoring his progress.
Local law enforcement has not yet issued a revised statement in response to the family’s claims, and investigators are still working to piece together a clear timeline of events and confirm a motive for the attack. The original report is a transcript of a televised evening newscast, with Kriol language quotes preserved in their original spelling for accuracy.