In a development that risks inflaming long-standing tensions between two Central American neighbors, Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched an official investigation into reports of an unauthorised incursion by a Guatemalan military aircraft into Belizean airspace. The incident, which unfolded on the evening of September 24, 2026, has prompted a firm warning from Belize that any such violation of its territorial integrity will not be tolerated.
Multiple independent flight tracking sources confirm the details of the flight in question. The aircraft, identified as a Guatemalan Air Force Pilatus PC-12 NG light utility aircraft with registration number 706 and operating under callsign FAG706, departed Guatemala City at 6:01 p.m. local time. Data from FlightAware shows the plane traveled over open water, passed south of Honduras, and then changed course toward Belizean territory. Flight tracking logs indicate the plane made multiple passes over Lighthouse Reef Atoll, a protected marine reserve located roughly 50 miles off Belize’s mainland and indisputably within Belizean borders. The aircraft was last tracked near the popular tourist destination of Caye Caulker at 8:06 p.m., at which point its transponder signal went dark.
Belize’s foreign ministry confirmed it has received preliminary reports of the incursion and is collaborating with the country’s Ministry of National Defence and Border Security to fully verify the details of the incident. In a clear statement on the incident, the ministry emphasized that “any incursion of a foreign military aircraft into Belize’s airspace would be a violation of Belize’s sovereignty and will be countered appropriately.” Prime Minister Briceño has previously expressed confidence that the ongoing territorial dispute between the two nations, currently being adjudicated by the International Court of Justice, will be resolved in Belize’s favor, stating “Confident All Doubts Will Be Removed!”
Guatemala’s Ministry of National Defence has responded to the incident with a carefully worded general statement that neither confirms nor denies the specific details of Thursday’s flight. The communiqué asserted that all operations conducted by the Guatemalan armed forces adhere to national and international law, and that the military acts with professionalism, discipline, and respect for human rights in carrying out its constitutional mandate. The statement closed with the military’s official slogan: “With dignity, respect and transparency, we defend the Nation.”
The incident comes at a sensitive moment in the relationship between the two nations, as a decades-long territorial dispute over the border region between Belize and Guatemala is currently before the International Court of Justice. Any unauthorized military activity in the contested border region is widely expected to draw heightened diplomatic attention, as both nations work toward a formal resolution of their outstanding territorial claims.