分类： society

Law enforcement authorities in Belize have filed joint criminal charges against two local men following a court-authorized search of their Hattieville Village residence that uncovered a sizable cache of illicit drugs and unregistered firearms, district police confirmed this week.

The accused, identified as 21-year-old Tajah Robateau and 25-year-old Kevan Joshua Franklyn, both residents of the village, were taken into formal custody after the search operation carried out on April 1 this year. Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith, the department’s official spokesperson, outlined the details of the raid in a public briefing.

“These charges come after our team executed a legally obtained search warrant at the property, which led to the recovery of seven separately wrapped parcels of suspected cannabis, with a combined total weight of 739 grams — equal to approximately 1.6 pounds,” Smith explained.

Beyond the cannabis seizure, investigators also found an unregistered Glock 9-millimeter handgun already loaded with a 13-round ammunition magazine. Two additional extended-capacity magazines were also seized during the search, holding 13 and 17 live 9-millimeter rounds respectively.

Smith noted that the packaging method used for the suspected cannabis points to a likelihood the drugs were being prepared for street-level distribution rather than personal use, making the seizure a significant win for local anti-narcotics efforts. As of April 7, both men remain in custody awaiting their first court appearance to answer the combined drug and weapons charges.

On April 7, 2026, what was supposed to be a day of resolution for hundreds of ticket holders of the canceled Sub Umbra Floreo Lions Club 2026 Toyota Hilux raffle turned into yet another episode of frustration in Belize City. Hundreds of people who had purchased tickets to the ill-fated fundraiser traveled to the Belize City Civic Centre on Tuesday morning, lured by a public notice posted to the Lions Club’s official Facebook page on March 31. The flier clearly stated that all 500 ticket holders could claim full refunds between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the venue’s on-site ticket booth. But when attendees arrived for the scheduled payout, they were met with an empty, unmanned booth and no explanation for the absence of club representatives.

Local outlet News Five, which has spent weeks covering the unraveling of the failed fundraising raffle, had reporters on the ground as ticket holders trickled in, each holding their unused entries and hoping to recoup their money, only to leave confused. Among the frustrated attendees was Carl Duncan, who made the trip from the nearby community of Ladyville to claim his refund. Despite the inconvenience and unmet expectation, Duncan said he was still trying to hold out hope that the organization would honor its promise.

“It is a big letdown,” Duncan told reporters on site. “People put their trust in this organization. I traveled a long way to get here from Ladyville, and gas prices are sky high right now. We’ve always known this to be a reputable group, we placed our trust in them, and I just hope they don’t end up letting us down.”

It was not until shortly before noon that the Lions Club issued a brief update via its social media channels, attributing the delay to unspecified bank holdups. The post said refunds would be distributed later than the originally advertised timeline. Club representatives finally arrived at the Civic Centre booth after 2 p.m. to begin processing the delayed reimbursements. Full updates and further details on the ongoing situation are set to air during News Five Live’s 6 p.m. broadcast on the same day.

In Dangriga Town, a growing sense of unease has taken hold as family members launch a frantic search for Jericho Humes, a 38-year-old father of three who vanished under deeply suspicious circumstances that left his home ransacked and disturbed.

According to close relatives, the last confirmed sighting of Humes came in the early hours of Wednesday, when he left his residence reportedly en route to his workplace. When days passed without contact from him, concerned family members traveled to his home to check on his welfare, and what they found inside has left them deeply alarmed.

The property showed clear signs of a violent disturbance: glass panes in the home’s windows were shattered, the front door was heavily damaged, Humes’ clothing was strewn haphazardly across the floor of every room, and a pot of cooked rice that he had prepared before his disappearance was left uneaten, going bad over the days he was gone. Most chillingly, one of the caps Humes had been wearing the morning he was last seen was found partially burned inside the home.

In an interview with local media, Humes’ brother Jose Humes shared his growing fear for his sibling’s safety. “I really worry because something is strange here,” he said. “When we went through the house yesterday, we couldn’t find even his machete, his rubber boots, any of his everyday clothes – all those basic things he keeps at home are gone.”

Clarissa Torres, Humes’ niece, also described the chaotic, upsetting scene she encountered when she joined family members to check the home. “The window was broken in, the door was broken into, and the sheet rack was broken into four pieces,” Torres recounted. “His clothes were flung all over the place. He had cooked rice ready to eat, and he didn’t even touch it. It’s just not like him to leave things like this.”

After days of unsuccessful attempts to reach Humes and their disturbing discovery at his property, the family formally filed a missing person report with the Belize Police Department on Monday. As of press time, law enforcement has not released any public updates on the investigation into Humes’ disappearance, and community members have joined the family’s call for any member of the public with information about his whereabouts to come forward to authorities.

A devastating late-night traffic collision in San Ignacio’s Kontiki neighborhood has claimed the life of José “Poste” Bautista (Riveira), a well-loved young member of the local football community, leaving his infant daughter, young spouse, and tight-knit neighborhood grappling with sudden loss. The fatal crash unfolded on Monday night, and Bautista was pronounced dead at the accident site immediately following the impact.

In the wake of the tragedy, his heartbroken wife shared a raw, emotional tribute to her husband via social media, writing, “You left me alone with the baby… I have no words.” The message quickly resonated across local online circles, as hundreds of friends, acquaintances, and community members poured in with their own condolences and memories of Bautista. Many recalled him as a gentle, humble person who doted endlessly on his young daughter, highlighting the bright future cut short by the crash.

One close childhood friend shared their own reflection online, noting, “We grew up sharing moments, laughter, and memories that I will always carry in my heart.”

User-shared footage from the crash site offers a grim look at the aftermath: a grey Toyota Camry, heavily damaged with its entire front end crumpled beyond recognition, sits on the roadway. The video also confirms that road surfaces were wet at the time of the incident, leading many local residents to speculate that inclement weather was a contributing factor to the collision.

Beyond weather, some community members are already calling for infrastructure improvements at the crash location, pointing to longstanding safety risks. One local resident argued that the stretch of road “needs bumps with proper signs and well-highlighted paint on these bumps,” suggesting inadequate road markings and traffic calming measures may have played a role in the tragedy.

Local law enforcement has confirmed that it is conducting a full investigation into the crash, and plans to release an official update on the incident’s circumstances to media outlets on April 8, 2026.