标签： Belize

A violent armed robbery has shaken the community of Dangriga, following a targeted attack against two female entrepreneurs on Wednesday evening. The incident, which authorities are classifying as an aggravated burglary, occurred at approximately 8:30 p.m. on December 18, 2025.

According to official police reports, the victims have been identified as Lindy Zhou, 49, and Miaoru Yang, 35. Ms. Zhou is the proprietor of the First Choice Supermarket, operating from a two-story commercial-residential building. The assault took place moments after the businesswomen had secured their commercial establishment and proceeded to their upstairs living quarters.

Upon entering their residence, the women were confronted by two unidentified male intruders who had previously gained unauthorized access to the property. One of the assailants was brandishing a firearm, creating an immediate atmosphere of lethal threat. The perpetrators subsequently physically restrained both victims before proceeding to ransack the premises.

The stolen items include a substantial but undisclosed sum of cash proceeds from the day’s business operations. Additionally, the robbers seized a legally registered black Beretta 9mm pistol along with four rounds of live ammunition. Law enforcement agencies have launched a comprehensive manhunt, though the suspects remain at large as investigations continue.

This incident highlights growing concerns regarding criminal activities targeting business owners in residential-commercial hybrid properties. The Dangriga police department has urged anyone with relevant information to come forward while increasing patrols in the commercial district.

Belmopan, Belize – December 18, 2025: A nationwide manhunt enters its second year for Hildebrandt Codd, a convicted murderer who remains at large after orchestrating a dramatic escape from judicial custody moments before his verdict was delivered. The fugitive’s disappearance has exposed critical vulnerabilities within the nation’s judicial security apparatus while leaving a grieving family without closure.

The extraordinary sequence of events unfolded on December 5, 2023, when Codd managed to flee Courtroom Number Three at the High Court just before justices were to deliver their ruling in his murder trial. In a unprecedented legal proceeding, the court subsequently delivered a guilty verdict in absentia for the brutal killing of 34-year-old Densmore Bowman.

Bowman, a Belmopan resident, was reported missing in November 2020. His tragic case culminated nearly three weeks later when highway maintenance workers discovered his decomposing remains buried in a shallow grave along the George Price Highway on December 16. Forensic examination revealed the victim had been brutally hacked to death.

The victim’s family has maintained an active $5,000 reward for information leading to Codd’s capture, expressing both frustration with the ongoing investigation and determination to secure justice. Law enforcement authorities acknowledge the challenges of the case but reaffirm their commitment to apprehending the escaped convict, who represents a significant threat to public safety.

This case has prompted serious scrutiny of courtroom security protocols and sparked broader discussions about judicial reform in Belize. As the investigation continues, authorities urge anyone with information regarding Codd’s whereabouts to come forward, emphasizing that no credible lead is too small to pursue.

In a significant maritime drug interdiction operation, Belizean law enforcement officials have recovered twenty-three packages of suspected cocaine with a combined weight of 64.2 pounds (approximately 29.1 kilograms). The discovery occurred during an early morning mission conducted by Caye Caulker police units on Thursday.

According to official reports, the narcotics were located approximately at 7:00 a.m. when officers identified a substantial plastic bag submerged on the ocean floor near the coastal region. The suspicious package was carefully retrieved and found to contain multiple sealed parcels of what preliminary testing indicates to be cocaine.

The Belize Police Department has formally cataloged the seized materials as found property while launching a comprehensive investigation into the origins and intended destination of the substantial drug shipment. This operation highlights the ongoing challenges faced by Caribbean nations in combating transnational drug trafficking networks that utilize maritime routes for narcotics transportation.

Authorities have not disclosed whether the discovery led to any immediate arrests but confirmed that multiple agencies are collaborating to trace the supply chain behind the intercepted substances. The seizure represents one of the more significant drug recoveries in the region this year, underscoring the continued vigilance of Belize’s coastal security forces.

In a decisive response to recent roadway tragedies, the Ministry of Transport has implemented stringent new regulations governing the transportation of oversized structures, particularly prefabricated houses. Chief Executive Officer Chester Williams announced that merely restricting transport to nighttime hours proved insufficient following two fatal accidents occurring during permitted nighttime movement periods.\n\nThe revised policy, enacted through formal written addendums to existing permits, now requires complete disassembly of all structures before highway transit. ‘While permission for oversized load transportation during nighttime hours remains,’ Williams clarified, ‘all structures, specifically houses, must be broken down into component parts to prevent hazardous overextension beyond vehicle parameters.’\n\nSupplementing these measures, the ministry has instituted mandatory escort protocols requiring all oversized transports to be accompanied by police or Department of Transportation vehicles equipped with prominent revolving warning lights. These visual alerts are designed to provide advanced notification to approaching motorists, enabling appropriate safety adjustments.\n\nThe Department of Transport confirmed the immediate implementation of these amendments through an official notice. The updated regulations maintain the previous 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. transportation window but now explicitly prohibit fully assembled houses on public roadways under any circumstances.

Belize faces a mounting road safety emergency as another life was claimed in a collision involving a transported residential structure on Wednesday night. Dean Perez, 38, became the second fatality in under a month after crashing into a house being moved along the George Price Highway near Mile 18.

Initial reports indicate Perez was traveling eastbound toward Belize City when the catastrophic impact occurred. The incident has triggered an outpouring of grief from bereaved family members, with one relative posting an emotional tribute online: “When mama was on her dying bed she said Cher take care of your brothers and sister. I did. I am trying. I love my siblings like my own children. Dean, you hurt me so, so bad.”

This tragedy compounds an already devastating period for the family, who were still mourning the murder of Raynard Garbutt Jr. and his colleague Robert Crawford just last Thursday. Their bodies were discovered after their commercial truck was robbed and abandoned on the Hummingbird Highway.

The latest fatality echoes the November 29th incident that claimed the life of 53-year-old Julian Bol on the Thomas Vincent Highway under strikingly similar circumstances. These parallel tragedies have ignited urgent concerns regarding the safety protocols governing oversized load transportation throughout Belize’s highway network.

In response to growing public safety threats, the Department of Transport implemented new regulations in August restricting house transportation and oversized structure movements to nighttime hours between 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. daily. These measures were specifically designed to mitigate traffic congestion, prevent property damage, and eliminate roadway obstructions during peak travel periods.

In a devastating recurrence of tragedy, Marta Magaña Nibul is confronting the unimaginable loss of a second child to a fatal hit-and-run incident. Her son, 31-year-old security guard Mark ‘Bul’ Magaña, succumbed to injuries sustained after being struck by an SUV on Bullet Tree Road in the early hours of Thursday, December 18th, 2025.

Authorities report that the collision occurred as Magaña was walking. The responsible motorist fled the scene without rendering aid, leaving the victim with critical injuries. Magaña was initially transported to San Ignacio Hospital for emergency treatment before being transferred to a medical facility in Belize City, where he was later pronounced dead. His body is currently held at the morgue.

The devastating news was delivered to his mother via a telephone call from police around 2:45 a.m. Recounting the traumatic exchange, Nibul described the officer’s vague yet grave assessment of her son’s condition, which foreshadowed the tragic outcome.

Magaña, a dedicated father of three young children aged ten, six, and nearly two, had accepted an extra hour of work that evening in his continual effort to provide for his family. His mother emphasized his relentless work ethic, stating he never refused any employment opportunity.

This incident marks the second profound loss for Nibul, who revealed her other son died under strikingly similar circumstances sixteen years prior. Now, channeling her grief into action, she is issuing a powerful public plea for justice and stricter accountability for reckless drivers, emphasizing the urgent need for systemic change to prevent further tragedies.

The Fort George Hotel & Spa in Belize City has formally addressed circulating media reports, explicitly stating that a recent armed robbery in the area did not transpire on its property or involve any hotel guests or operations. This clarification comes in the wake of a criminal investigation launched by local authorities concerning an incident reported on Wednesday evening.

According to police reports, the robbery targeted a separate office facility located near the hotel district. Two unidentified assailants, clad in black and armed with 9mm pistols, conducted the operation. The victim, a 33-year-old female employee working as an accounts payable clerk, was accosted by the suspects. They allegedly demanded money, subsequently restrained her in a different office within the facility, and made their escape with a significant haul.

The stolen items included a cash pan containing $9,000 in Belizean currency, the employee’s personal purse, various identification documents, and two Samsung mobile phones. The hotel’s management, in its official communication, sought to distance its establishment from the event, emphasizing that its guest areas and operational integrity remained entirely unaffected and that visitor safety was never at risk.

Authorities continue their investigation into the armed robbery, pursuing leads to apprehend the suspects. The hotel’s statement serves to correct the geographical inaccuracies in initial reports and to reassure current and prospective guests of its secure environment.