AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Belize Life News Major Bust: Plane, Drugs, Guns, Vehicles & Corrupt Colleagues!

After the curfew hour struck last night, all was quiet on the Southern Highway. But within half an hour, the sound of an incoming plane disrupted the peace in Bladen Village. Narcos quickly began unloading bales of cocaine, working methodically to get the drugs to their destination. And while in most of the previous cases of drug plane landings, the narcos easily eluded law enforcement, taking the drugs with them. this time, the cops turned the tables, dramatically.

Four police officers came under fire as they tried to intercept the drugs. But with teamwork from officers in Dangriga, Independence, and even Belize City, the department made a major bust of cocaine and guns. It would be case for celebration, except for that fact that some of their own were complicit in the drug trade.

Courtney Menzies travelled south to Bladen, and then back to Belmopan where the Commissioner of Police held a press conference. She has this story.

Courtney Menzies:
"Drugs, guns, and a fully intact aircraft - the events of last night after a drug plane landed on the Southern Highway were straight out of a narco movie, complete with a high powered shootout between the narcos and the police. And once the smoke cleared, two civilians were handcuffed and 20 bales of cocaine confiscated along with five assault rifles - weapons we now know are linked to the police. It's one of the biggest busts where a narco plane is involved and today, the commissioner of police told us how the officers were able to get to the right place, at the right time."

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"A team of four officers from Intermediate Southern Formation were deployed to the location. Upon arrival there, they saw the plane on the ground, vehicles and persons around, which would indicate that cargo was being unloaded from the plane. The four police officers attempted to engage the traffickers and the number of persons who were involved in this unloading was around 15-20 persons and we only had four police officers. Nonetheless these officers were brave enough and attempted to engage these traffickers and they subsequently came under heavy fire."

"Moments later, a white Toyota pickup truck was seen leaving the landing site carrying what they believed was the cargo from the plane, heading towards Punta Gorda Town. Based on that, we deployed a team of police officers and elements of the Belize Defense Force to go and mount a checkpoint on the Southern Highway going to Punta Gorda Town. That was done as well as a sweep of the highway and I also contacted ACP Grinage and directed that he deploy himself and a team of police officers from Belize City to go and offer support on the ground to make sure that there was proper coordination of our operations on the ground. Subsequent to that, the team we had out there intercepted the white Toyota Hilux with two occupants, minus the cargo. We suspected more or less where they may have taken the cargo and again between myself and Mr Grinage who was on the ground, we communicated and coordinated that searches be conducted in two particular areas. Thankfully the search yield 22 bales of cocaine. And just moments ago, we came across another three bales, so that brings to a total of 25 bales. Each bale from what we have seen now because we have not counted and weigh, contained 30 bricks."

And if you do the math, it adds up to 750 bricks, and if each brick weights about a kilo, that means the police are now in possession of 1,650 pounds of cocaine - three 2quarters of a tonne.

And along with that, they also found three vehicles - two of which are assigned to the Operations Unit - headed by ACP Marco Vidal. And once those vehicles were identified by Vidal, the alarming truth that some of Belize's finest were complicit in this illegal plane landing.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"And we also conducted search of a Nissan Rouge which was left on the scene by the plane and inside that Nissan Rouge, we found five assault rifles, one of the rifles we have identified to be that which was stolen from the police station in Succotz during a burglary. The other four are not known to us but we have those in custody along with 17 magazines, each containing 30 rounds, so you're to do 30 times 17, I think it takes you to 510 rounds of ammunition so you see how these people were heavily armed. The vehicle we recognize it to be a vehicle that was used by Sergeant Ferguson who is assigned to Operations office in Belmopan and so inside the vehicle we also found some documents which bear the name of Sergeant Ferguson so we know for a fact based on what we have found on the scene, police officers are involved in this latest plane landing. We believe that other than Sergeant Ferguson that there maybe two other police officers involved. We currently have those two police officers in custody and we are still seeking Sergeant Ferguson."

This revelation made this mission bittersweet for the ComPol - one on hand commending the officers who made it a success and on the other realizing that corruption runs deep in the police department.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"While we do celebrate the fact that we were able to intercept this load there is the disappointment to have found out that police officers are involved. That is extremely disheartening and disappointing and I want to assure the public that I am going to leave no stone unturned to make sure that those police officers who are implicated, that they will be dealt with to the full extent of the law, we are not going to cover up or condone their behavior. They put themselves in a certain position, they will face the consequences of their actions."

Right after the press conference - the Commissioner learned that Sergeant Ferguson had been caught - in the same area where the plane was found - reportedly with scratches consistent with time spent in the bush. Of the two officers caught, one is the DPP's bodyguard, and the other, a corporal works in her husband Marco Vidal's operations office.

Compol On the Defensive

And, so, while - under normal circumstances - the cops would be in a frenzy of self congratulation for this big bust, plus the arrest of multiple suspects, and the recovery of their weapons and vehicles…instead the commissioner was on the defensive today when he held a press conference at the Police training academy. That's because the operations unit of his Department has been exposed as compromised.

To understand the significance of this - you'd have to get some background. For some weeks now - an odd arrangement has persisted at the top of the department. Assistant Commissioner Alford Grinage has taken over operations, but Assistant Commissioner Marco Vidal - who was the former commander of operations - still has not left that post - so there are two commanders - but Grinage is the one who was activated last night.

And, members of Vidal's team are the ones implicated tonight - two of them are detained - along with the body guard for his wife, the Director of Public Prosecutions. Additionally, a vehicle assigned to his relative - a noted police officer - was found inexplicably abandoned in Silk Grass, near the locus of the crime.

It's a tangled mess rife with speculation - and today Jules Vasquez went head to head with the Compol to get to the bottom of it:

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"It doesn't matter where you work or who you work with and so those who fall trap to the weaknesses of society and allow themselves to be recruited by drug traffickers, I say shame on them. But I can assure me, so long as I am the commissioner, I am not going to tolerate any such conduct in any way, shape or form. Once they manifest themselves, I am going to cut their neck without any hesitation."

Jules Vasquez
"But you are avoiding the question, the question is this is the operation team that responds to drugs planes. One element was caught out there, other elements are being sought. Obviously there is something rotten here and I am saying that does it not speak to some failure on the part of their commander. Yes, these are adults and they make their own choices, but if you do not know what your operators are doing, that is one issue and if you do know that is another issue."

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I don't want to sound like we are in a back and forth, but are you insinuating to me that if Courtney or Angel were to go and commit a crime unknowing to you, that you are complicit with them? If that is the test, we will use then we are surely up, I don't want to say what kind of creek and charge them for murder."

Jules Vasquez
"Those who work on operations have special duties and responsibilities and their actions have to be accounted for at late hours of the night."

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"You have special duties and responsibilities too as a media, so not because you have that level of responsibility it means that when your staff members falters, you are guilty. We have to be real my brother and at the end of the day those persons you speak about, they are not primarily the persons who would normally respond to plane landings and think that the yard stick that should be used here is how we respond to this incident; how do we deal with these officers, do we shield them? do we condone them or do we ensure that they face the consequence of their action."

Jules Vasquez
"These are people assigned to the operation that responds to narco traffic reports and` these persons from that team are educated multiple people. Do you realize how that looks to your international partners? It looks like your operations team is corrupt and how it looks to the public is that the police have been facilitating the landing of drugs planes."

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"You be the judge. Does our action today in doing all we could have, including putting the lives of 4 of our own on the line, does that signal facilitation to you? This is not unique to Belize. We have had members of DEA who have been accused of drug trafficking and dealing with drugs. The highest level of drug enforcement you could say in the world. Our international partners and I can tell you that the DEA agents who are in Belize have been with us every step of the way, so they know for a fact that as a department, as a country, we are not doing anything to facilitate, to cover up or to condone the actions of those police officers. I think that the public, if we want to be reasonable and objective, are going to say yes police officers were involved, but the department is doing what they can to make sure that these rogue officers are dealt with."

Jules Vasquez
"Sir, but never before has the apex team, this is the apex team that responds to narco reports, they are implicated."

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I am saying DEA agents have been implicated for drug trafficking and arrested for drug trafficking. Any way in the world you go, members of the drug unit have been implicated. As a matter of fact even in Belize we had change members of our drug unit because of the fact that we got information they were involved. In Mexico, anywhere you go. Don't make this seem like this is unique to Belize. Cal down. Come down to earth."

Jules Vasquez
"I appreciate that you are acting conscientiously and with purpose. I don't doubt that."

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"You hardly do appreciate things that isn't positive, Jules."

Jules Vasquez
"But in the past, sir, the ineluctable conclusion will be drawn that in the past no wonder all those planes land, no wonder they always reach late, because the operations unit was compromise. That will be the thinking in the public's mind, sir."

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Like I said before, no matter what we do, we still in a position where it's damned if we do and damned if we don't and the public or persons who don't want to be so objective are going to say what they want. I don't know about the past, but I can tell you that since I took over this department, we have done our best to capture these planes and the perpetrators with the limited resources that we have and our actions last night is a clear demonstration of that. Our zeal and our determination to make sure we find these traffickers should be commended. You can check the record and see under which commissioner we have had the most drug bust and when you get the answer to that you come back and speak to me."

Jules Vasquez
"Sir, you are cleaning house by accident, I'm saying if it were not for the exceptional conduct of the officers, not like you said we have a problem in that operations office, we are going to weed them out. You found this out, you were as shocked as I was to find it out."

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I was in direct communications with my officers the entire night directing operations and directing what should be done, so it's not by accident."

Jules Vasquez
"I'm saying you had no idea that persons in the operations office were acting in a very dubious manner."

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Is that strange?"

Jules Vasquez
"This is the most important unit you have."

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Like every organization, there are going to be people within who are doing things that you won't know until it manifest itself, so please don't bring that crap to me."

Reporter
"Does this now make you suspicious for the other officers in this operations unit, like you know some of them are complicit, how will you clean house? are you suspecting the other officers, they might be involved as well."

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Certainly, and I think you should be the director of Channel 7, put Jules for retirement. Now that this have happened, we certainly need to take a look at the others in the office, because they are close friends and if it is that 3 are involved, we don't know the extent to which other may be."

Jules Vasquez
'Sir, will Mr. Vidal be placed on administrative leave or ask to take some time off in view of the fact that his officers directly under him, work in his office are now in the circle of direct suspicion and allegation?"

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"At this time, I do not see the need for that. There is nothing to suggest that Mr. Vidal is involved. As a matter of fact he was the one who raised it first to me that having seen the vehicle that was found on the scene that those persons from his office may be involved, which would suggest that he have nothing to do with what they were doing out there and he made it clear, they are not out there on his instruction or directive."

DPP's Police Bodyguard

And, another reason for concern is that the police constable who acts as a bodyguard for the Director of Public Prosecutions was found in the general area of the plane landing last night - and is detained tonight.

Today, the commissioner of police said that this bodyguard has a close relationship with one of the other officers from ACP Vidal's team who is detained:

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Yes, we do have, its not a driver per say, but the bodyguard of, like you said a prominent member of our society out there and again, I do not want us to try and impute his conduct to that person."

Jules Vasquez
"I'm not trying to do that, but I'm trying to say that if the case goes to court and a prosecution is required, will there be extenuating circumstances? will you ask that the director of prosecutions on the police side, advance the prosecution of what may be perceived as a conflict of interest."

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Of course, the matter would be a summary matter and so the police head prosecutor would be the one to prosecute that matter."

5 Guns Retrieved, One Stolen From Cops, the Others?

So, that kind of echoes what was happening here at the same time - and, indeed, it shows that whenever drug planes land, there's usually two groups working with the narcos: law enforcement and movers of heavy equipment who can clear landing strips.

And, of course, the police are used for all sorts of stuff including firepower. Which, brings us to the 5 weapons found at last night's drug bust. One of them was stolen from the police station

In Benque Viejo - while there are persistent reports that the four others were assigned to the same compromised operations unit. We have spoken to officers who are familiar with one of the assault rifles - which was broken and repaired with improvised parts.

But, today the Commissioner denied that though - he said they are still checking on it:

Jules Vasquez "Sir, are you able to speak about the 4 firearms found, you said one was assigned to Benque Viejo. We have persistent reports that the other 4 are assigned to these operations teams that use to work under Mr. Vidal in that unit, are you all able to confirm that>"

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"We have made checks and that is not the case. Nonetheless, as a part of the investigation process, we are going to be making further checks, but from what we know at this time, those firearms do not form part of our inventory."

We note that these are the same weapons used to fire on the four brave police officers form the ISF who resounded - so if they are indeed all police weapons, it would be a matter of great concern.

Channel 7

What Really Happened That Night On The Southern

From last week we have been reporting intensively on the major drug bust on the Southern Highway which netted 1,682 pounds of cocaine, a drug plane, 5 guns, and, of course, the Bladen 11 - which includes four cops.

But, a lot of the reportage has focussed on the sensation of the involvement of the lawmen from the Commander's Strike Team, and all the criminal and administrative intrigues and fallout that revelation engenders.

Tonight, we'll pull back a little to look at what happened that night out on the Southern Highway - where - reports suggest - the confluence of a few happy coincidences allowed police to make this huge bust and 11 arrests to go with it. Courtney Menzies reports:

We know that this Piper Cheyenne 1 landed on the Southern Highway near Bladen at about 9:30pm. From there, a Mexican air asset - reported to be an AWAC surveillance aircraft - hovered right over the scene and reported the movements of the narcos to Belize's Anti Narcotics Unit.

They saw the narcos and their security team - allegedly made up of police officers from the Commander Operations' Strike Team loading up and moving the cargo in this Toyota Hilux. But it was slow going because reports say two other support vehicles being brought in allegedly by other suspects were intercepted on the road by police doing routine checks. This slow unloading of the 1600 pounds gave police from Independence time to respond - over an hour later.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"A team of four officers from Intermediate Southern Formation were deployed to the location. Upon arrival there, they saw the plane on the ground, vehicles and persons around, which would indicate that cargo was being unloaded from the plane. The four police officers attempted to engage the traffickers and the number of persons who were involved in this unloading was around 15-20 persons and we only had four police officers. Nonetheless these officers were brave enough and attempted to engage these traffickers and they subsequently came under heavy fire."

Heavy fire - but the cops only had short arms and the Narcos had these 5 assault rifles - the police were no match and had to retreat.

That's when, according to our reports, a BDF truck going on a ration run happened on the scene. And though they had limited fire power, they came to the assistance of police. That caused the narcos to beat a hasty retreat

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Moments later, a white Toyota pickup truck was seen leaving the landing site carrying what they believed was the cargo from the plane."

They dumped the cargo at another location and - again with the help of the Mexican AWAC, police were able to find it:

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"We suspected more or less where they may have taken the cargo and again between myself and Mr Grinage who was on the ground, we communicated and coordinated that searches be conducted in two particular areas."

And that's when police took charge of the 25 bales of cocaine, 5 assault rifles, a turn prop plane and detained two of the alleged narcos from northern Belize, Armando Martinez and Moises Adan Perez.

Again, the total volume of drugs the men are charged for is 1682 pounds.

Notably, aviation experts point out that that "Piper Cheyenne 1" has a maximum payload of 1,550 pounds when it is full of fuel. In this case - they say - it would have had to bring much more fuel - so they tell us they don't know how it could have carried almost 1,700 pounds of cocaine.

Channel 7

Everyone's A Suspect In Latest Drug Plane Landing

And from "Dia De La Raza" to "Noche de Los Narcos" - that was two weeks ago when the drug plane landed on the Southern Highway. The 1800 pounds of cocaine have already been destroyed - but there are still so many questions about this landing in which 4 police officers were allegedly assisting the Narcos with their mission.

Since then police commissioner Chester Williams has been all over the news - but this is the first time the media has gotten to speak with his Minister.

Musa said that - in spite of the cop corruption - there was also police heroism out there on that highway - and it has now led to what he calls a wide open investigation where, as he put it, "everyone is a suspect":

Hon. Kareem Musa, Min. Home Affairs
"I find it regrettable. I find it regrettable because we forget that there were four very brave officers who risked their lives to go after an airplane, likely knowing that it was drugs on that plane and to actually engage with those at the scene, both civilians and allegedly police officers as well. And so we have to commend their bravery for actually doing that that night."

"Now, which of you in here, as members of the media have not heard before that police officers are involved in this? And I'm sure all of you have heard it. So if you're giving me the option, Courtney, to say, Minister, we'll give you A.) You can catch the drugs, but you can't catch who landed the plane or who facilitated, or B, you also catch the drugs and you catch those individuals responsible for facilitating the plane landing. I will always choose B. And as much as it is painful to see as minister to see that there are corrupt officers involved, it's all over the world. The same night one landed in Guatemala, eight officers in their uniforms were caught at the scene of the plane."

"And so it might be a very difficult pill to swallow as a country, but that is how we root out the corrupt officers. Yes, when you peel off the Band-Aid, the sore is not a pretty one."

"It's not a pretty sight. But in order for you to treat the wounds that are within the department, you must first see it."

"This is an open investigation. And so if it is that the evidence, as you know, there were four cell phones phone at the scene, we have already gotten the court order to access the contents of those cell phones. And if it is that on that cell phone, there is a message to you, Dwayne, we will naturally bring you in for questioning. Doesn't mean you're guilty. But we have to look at everybody as a suspect, so it doesn't matter if it's the commissioner all the way down to a police constable or or an ACP or a DCP, whatever the case may be. Everybody has to be a suspect. And so this case is by no means an open and shut case. We are looking at all angles. We have the DEA also involved in the investigation. Not directly, of course. And I've actually had a sit down with the head of the DEA and they have assured me that they feel confident in the team of investigators that we have assigned to this particular case."

Reporter
"You mentioned that there were four cell phones found at the scene and you are requesting records, but are we also requesting records from Mr. Vidal, the Assistant Commissioner?"

Hon. Kareem Musa, Min. Home Affairs
"Ehm, I don't know the extent of the investigation, how far up that has gone. I just know that the four cell phones found at the scene. Those have been retrieved, those have been taken into custody and we have gotten court orders for those I would have to inquire about Mr. Vidal's cell phone. Again, that is taking it a whole lot of direction. But perhaps it could lead to that."

"Like I said, everybody's a suspect. So not just Vidal, but other members of the department, the high ranking members of the department."

"Maybe we need to go there, not just Mr. Vidal, everybody, like I said, it has to be a suspect."

Police Minister Discusses Cop Who Was Caught

And the reason Vidal is within the circle of suspicion is not only because 4 of the 7 members of his COST team have been criminally charged, but because Corporal Elmer Nah - who has been with Vidal in various units for over 10 years - is also his nephew.

Nah was arrested when he was caught on Saturday November 6th on the Southern Highway with over a hundred rounds of police issued ammunition. But, he was on leave at the time - so what was he doing with all the live ammunition? And should his common law wife - who was with him - have also been charged? And should Uncle Marco Vidal have gone to the Independence police station to assist these suspects, who are also his relatives? The Press asked the Minister for his take on all the questions today:

Reporter
"Sir, have you determined if there was anything untoward in Elmer Nah having that amount of ammunition? And is an investigation being done in terms of how much equipment, ammunition and firearms that unit, the COST unit was assigned?"

Hon. Kareem Musa, Min. Home Affairs
"That has to be looked into Marisol and it is. What I can say on that again - It's also before the courts - but what they can see from what I have been informed, the ammunition that he had was assigned and it is from the police department. It is excessive in my personal opinion. And so we will have to look at that angle because he was on leave. And so you ought not to have had that ammunition in his possession."

Reporter
"Do you believe that his wife, who was in the vehicle, should have been arrested and charged?"

Hon. Kareem Musa, Min. Home Affairs
"It's a peculiar matter, Courtney, because if it is that that ammunition could not have been traced to the police department, then yes, she should have been charged because anybody found with illegal ammunition should be charged inside a vehicle. That is the law. This particular case, in this particular instance, this ammunition is for the police department. Elmer Nah, otherwise, if he were on duty, would have been allowed to be in possession of this ammunition, but he was off duty. And so he ought to have turned that back in. And so you cannot necessarily tie or to trace her to this ammunition because it's not random ammunition, it is ammunition assigned to the police department given. Aylmer, not as far as I'm aware again, but he ought not to have been in possession of it because he was off duty."

Reporter
"Sir, are you concerned that the police officers who are implicated in this drug plane, they were supposed to go to court to testify in other cases, know their integrity will be called into question, presumably by a defense attorneys. Does this concern you?"

Hon. Kareem Musa, Min. Home Affairs
"Of course it does, Courtney, that that is a huge concern. This particular COST unit has been responsible for a number of drug busts throughout Belize. And so that is definitely a very concerning issue. We have to look at it from the angle of the officers who were not implicated in this particular plane landing to see whether those officers can offer testimony in the case because they are part of the same unit but not implicated in this plane landing."

Reporter
"Sir, does it also concern you that they are not seeing the best of it all went personally to the police station to, you know, get to pick up Elmer Nah's wife."

Hon. Kareem Musa, Min. Home Affairs
"That looks terrible. That looks terrible. Yes, it's your family member and all of that, but that looks terrible. I have to say that."

"Anybody, anybody, whether it's Vidal or anybody else found to be exerting their influence because they're an ACP, DCP or a sergeant if they're phoned exerting their influence to try to assist those individuals who were found at the scene, those officers, those high ranking officers, need to be personally dealt with."

Vidal's Elite COST Unit Dismantled

And being dealt with on any level is something that's mostly foreign to ACP Marco Vidal. As commander of operations - he held broad and magisterial sway over a wide range of police activities - and was considered a close and trusted ally of Commissioner Chester Williams - which made him effectively the third in command of the department - even while he may have been fourth or fifth on the organisational chart.

And that's why his Commander Operations Strike Team - COST for short - was allowed mostly free reign. That is until earlier this year when the Commandeer fo the Anti Narcotics Unit complained in writing that the movements of this COST team, could end up costing a police officer his life. Referring to COST, ASP Lennox Broaster wrote to the Commissioner: "entities that do not have counter-narcotics as part of their mandate are engaging in these types of activities without consulting the ANU. Duplication of efforts is evident with the creation of a special team to conduct counter-drug operation. There is a high potential for blue on blue - (meaning police accidentally shooting one another) - with special teams being deployed in crucial areas of concern unknown for interdiction of illicit aircraft." end quote.

But how did Vidal's COST team get so empowered? Instead of looking over to his COMPOL, the Minister said ask his UDP predecessors:

Reporter
"Have you ascertained for yourself how that unit even came about? I'm sure you've heard about the allegation that it was a duplication of efforts because there's the Anti-Narcotics Unit. So how does the Vidal end up with this elite team that's also going after officers? A lot of questions are being raised in relation to that."

Hon. Kareem Musa, Min. Home Affairs
"It was a special strike team that was formed under the former administration. As I understand it, Marisol a lot of the members of the COST team were under Vidal when he was at GSU and then when this COST team was formed, like I said, under the last administration, you'd have to ask them. It may be Mr. Peyreffite or Mr. Saldivar their intention behind this, this formation of this specialized unit, perse. But I agree with you there are there is a duplication of efforts because we do have JIOC, we do have the ANU, like you rightly said these are actual units that deal with specifically dealing with drug busts and dealing with with plane landings, so to speak. And so yes, this this might look like a duplication of effort, but you'd have to look at the intention for which this was formed. Like I said, they're responsible for a lot of drug busts. And so I don't want to take that away from them at this very moment. But the fact that they were found at this particular plane landing, it has to be uprooted. It has to be dismantled. No questions asked."

Musa stressed a number of times that the COST team has been dismantled. As we said, 4 of its 7 members have been charged - 3 of them for involvement with the narco plane.

Channel 7