A high-profile Belizean political figure has reemerged at the center of a criminal investigation, following an alleged breach of a restricted military explosives disposal site in the Baldy Beacon region.
Former government minister Elvin Penner is currently the subject of an active probe launched by national police after he was accused of entering the fenced active operation zone and attempting to remove material from the site. The country’s Ministry of National Defense has formally submitted an official incident report to law enforcement, opening the door for a full inquiry into the unauthorized incursion.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith, a staff officer with the department, confirmed to reporters that investigators have received the official report along with two witness statements, which are currently being reviewed for compliance with the nation’s Dangerous Goods Act. When pressed by journalists to outline what criminal charges Penner could face if evidence of wrongdoing is uncovered, Smith declined to speculate, noting that investigators must first cross-reference the collected evidence with provisions of the act to confirm whether any offense has been committed.
For his part, Penner has pushed back against the allegations, maintaining he did not violate any laws. He claims the components he collected from the area were mistaken for discarded, abandoned material, and he had no knowledge he was entering an active restricted site.
The investigation comes amid rising local tension over a separate recent incident at the same site: a wildfire ignited during a Belize Defense Force (BDF) operation to destroy stockpiled unexploded ordnance recovered from private lands across the region. In the wake of community pushback and concerns from local landowners over the exercise, military leaders have moved to strengthen communication channels with nearby residents.
BDF Commandant Brigadier General Anthony Velasquez confirmed that he held direct talks with landowner representatives at Baldy Beacon on Friday, where both sides addressed existing damage, the ongoing safety risks posed by unremoved military ordnance, and the urgent need for improved cross-stakeholder coordination going forward. Velasquez emphasized that while the ordnance disposal operations are conducted as a public safety measure to protect local communities, the military acknowledges that it failed to keep nearby residents sufficiently informed and involved in exercise planning.
“The conversation was very productive,” Velasquez explained. “We walked through our position on the work we’re doing, and they shared their concerns with us directly. What we heard is that local landowners actually appreciate the work we’re doing to remove these dangerous devices, which pose a direct threat to their families, children and homes. Many of these devices were reported by residents themselves, after which our teams retrieved the ordnance to dispose of it safely at the Baldy Beacon site. This work is done for the greater good of the entire public.”
Following the meeting, the BDF has moved quickly to implement new, more accessible communication protocols for local residents. Velasquez noted that the military will distribute contact information and printed outreach flyers to all landowners in the area, encouraging residents to report any newly discovered unexploded devices directly to BDF teams. Once notified, military personnel will be dispatched immediately to either destroy the ordnance on location or remove it to the secured disposal site for controlled detonation.
Velasquez also addressed widespread criticism of the military’s choice to hold disposal exercises during the local dry season, when wildfire risk is elevated. He explained that the decision was rooted in safety: during the wet season, rural access roads to the Baldy Beacon site become extremely unstable and treacherous, making transport of unstable, aging unexploded ordnance far more dangerous than conducting the work during dry conditions.
This report is a transcribed excerpt from an evening television newscast focused on national affairs in Belize, originally published online.