Belize National Anti-Drug Strategy - Caribbean Elections

y air travelers or sent by post to the USA. Intelligence efforts show that amounts are alsosmuggled from neighboring Guatemala into Belize for domestic use.To counter these hazards resulting from the production and distribution of marijuana andthe importation, trafficking and distribution of cocaine, the Belize Police Department has utilizedall the intelligence and operational resources available. The police operations have had to beundertaken in conjunction with other normal police tasks. This has resulted in the severeoverstretching of manpower and equipment resources, possibly to the detriment of efficiency inthe performance of their regular duties.Maritime SummaryThe coastline of Belize offers the greatest opportunity for transshipping drugs into thecountry or Mexico. The extensive barrier reef serves as a rendezvous for go-fast vessels, coastalfreighters, and fishing vessels. Almost every go-fast vessel departing from the northern coast ofColombia en route to Mexico transits Belize or its waters.Go-fast Vessel OperationsThe entire Belizean coast including the barrier reef itself provides a haven for go-fastvessel operations. Belizean fishermen are often contracted to pilot the go-fast vessels throughthe intricate reef system. Lighthouses along the cayes are used as navigation beacons, allowingthe go-fasts vessels to operate at night aided by global positioning satellite navigation systems.With little fear of interdiction, given the many hiding locations, abundance of shallow water, andlimited counter-drug assets, traffickers can operate in relative safety. Go-fasts vessels arerefueled or unloaded by support teams, which usually use a different location for each operation.Commercial ShippingLittle is known about Belizean traffickers using merchant ships and fishing vessels andthe quantity of illicit drugs hidden in legitimate cargo. A common practice for drug traffickers isto conceal cocaine in fresh fruit and seafood. Vessels transporting fresh fruit and seafood arerarely checked thoroughly by Customs due to the perishable nature of the foods and the inabilityof the Customs Department to pay for loss if the goods are damaged.In-land River TransportIt is highly likely that traffickers use Belize’s vast inland waterway system to move drugshipments within the country. The Rio Hondo runs almost the entire length of theBelize/Mexican border and into Corozal Bay, making it the most likely to be used by traffickers.Additionally, there are numerous rivers that flow from various inland lakes and reservoirs intothe inter-coastal waterway, creating a complex riverine system for domestic transport. Theserivers are accessible only by shallow draft vessels such as barges and motor boats of the typesused by smugglers.