On November 26, 2025, the Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) set out on a mission to the Sapodilla Cayes, a region of significant national importance currently under scrutiny at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The group’s objective was to educate Belizeans about the ecological and cultural value of these cayes. However, their journey took an unexpected turn when they stumbled upon an illegal Guatemalan gillnet in Belizean waters. The discovery was prompted by a suspicious bottle floating in the area, which led the team to the nearly 400-foot-long net. The BTV promptly retrieved and destroyed the gillnet, which was located approximately four miles west of Hunting Caye, an area that includes a Belize Coast Guard base and a ranger station. Unconfirmed reports suggest that enforcement patrols in the region may have been reduced to avoid escalating tensions with Guatemalan fishers, especially as ICJ hearings are ongoing this week. This incident highlights the ongoing challenges in protecting Belize’s maritime boundaries and resources.