In a brazen pre-dawn operation, seven masked individuals infiltrated the Ministry of Agriculture compound in Central Farm, Belize, during the early hours of Wednesday. The perpetrators subdued and restrained the security guard before making off with keys to four government-owned pickup trucks.
According to Minister of Agriculture Rodwell Ferguson, who recently assumed office, the incident occurred approximately at 3:00 AM. Initial investigative findings suggest the suspects intended to transport the stolen vehicles toward Belize’s western border with Guatemala.
Minister Ferguson indicated strong evidence pointing to local involvement, noting that witness accounts described the suspects speaking Creole. “We do suspect that these individuals have connections across the border,” Ferguson stated. “We alerted Guatemalan authorities as a precautionary measure, but linguistic evidence suggests they are locals.”
When questioned about potential internal collaboration, the minister maintained a cautious stance: “That possibility remains under consideration, though I refrain from speculation pending further investigation.”
Law enforcement authorities successfully recovered three vehicles near Arenal and another in proximity to Benque. The minister acknowledged that suspect identification remains ongoing, with expectations of significant developments by day’s end.