Belizean authorities are claiming a big hand in a large drug bust that occurred Wednesday evening. Belize's Anti-Drug Unit along with the BDF's Coast Guard were pursuing a skiff off the shores of San Pedro when it entered international waters. Belizean authorities then contacted their Mexican counterparts who picked up the chase.

The Mexicans called out high-speed skiffs from their Navy which instructed the vessel to stop. It didn't and that's when the Mexicans called out two helicopters and a rapid response team. One of the helicopters, a Bolkow Super 5 shot out the engines, and also hit one of the passengers. Another helicopter an m1-17 followed up with a rapid response team, which went into the water and secured the crippled vessel, its crew and contents 36 miles east of San Pedro.

In what is described as an exchange of gunfire, one of the boat's occupants identified as Honduran national Jesus Castillo Orellano was shot. He along with his companions San Pedranos: 25-year-old William Martinez, 25-year-old Kevin Lincoln Smith, 45-year-old Miguel Perez and 48-year-old Francisco Nunez were detained by Mexican authorities and taken to Cozumel. Mexican authorities found 1,350 kilos or 2976 pounds of suspected cocaine inside the boat. They also found a rifle, two pistols, a satellite phone, two cell phones, and radios as well as a GPS system.

Police sources note that it is one of the first major drug seizures on the open seas to have an almost all Belizean crew. The men all live on San Pedro and are believed to have transferred the drugs from a Colombian vessel in the open seas and were then bringing it back to San Pedro for further conveyance to Mexico, when they ran into Belize's drug squad, who chased them back into international waters. They remain in Mexican custody in Cozumel, and as we understand it, will remain there for criminal proceedings.

Glad they were caught.

I'm very glad they were caught, no matter whose neighbours they may be. Given the misery they were about to impart to their fellow man, and the violence they were pre-prepared to inflict to achieve their ends, there should only be one sentence. Regardless what the Privy Council in London might say.

So much for the "theory" that crime is not being committed by San Pedronos.

Just because they live on San Pedro doesn't mean they're San Pedranos.

I think there are some Perez's and Nunez's that would disagree with you.

...and Paisano is Palestinian.

bywarren, an apology, I let my relationships with San Pedranos blind me to the fact that not everyone is as good as the people I spend my time with. You are totally correct.

Thanks, SimonB. My point, although I did not expand on it fully in the first post - for a reason, was to try and get people to look at this crime issue in the whole picture. We all love San Pedro and San Pedranos. But not all of San Pedro is perfect and not all San Pedranos are either. It is just like when crime was discussed earlier on the board, many chose to take the position that San Pedro is a great place because the crime is less than in Jamaica or elsewhere. But if the crime issue is to be resolved, it must be recognized for what it is and where the causes of it exist. It would be much easier to blame the crime only on the vagrants on AC. But if the crime issue is to be solved, there is a much broader picture to address. The community must take a "realistic look in the mirror". When San Pedro was the place I love to remember, it was totally crime free. I believe that was a direct result of the attitude of the community. And it is great to see the community rally against crime now. But let's not just take the easy way and accept some crime because it is less here than elsewhere, or only blame it on the vagrant issue. Lets set the community standard that no crime is acceptable in San Pedro by anyone because that is the way San Pedranos are. I am not willing to accept that San Pedro judge itself relative to Jamaica or any other place. I hope it will set the standard based on the way it was. That might seem like a high and difficult standard to meet, but I firmly believe that a community like San Pedro can achieve that.

bywarren ,damn ,you are good.. you are right on the money again ..