AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye An International Man Of Mystery On San Pedro

You have to declare, same as when you bring in plant or animal products with a permit. Its not illegal to bring in more than US$10,000.00 and I have done so and did not have any problem or delays. It just has to be declared, so they can catch people like this man wanted by Interpol. Its just a safety net for IRS and justic system.

Italian Velardo Persona Non Grata

When we left you on Friday night, Italian Antonio Velardo was being questioned by authorities. As we reported, the Financial Intelligence Unit had gotten information that there was an international warrant for his arrest so he was given what is known as an RLL - refused leave to land - meaning he was not allowed to enter the country. And by Saturday morning the Immigration Department served him with an Order To Leave, an expulsion order. We understand that his catamaran vessel the Aventura was escorted out of Belize's Territorial Waters - and he was sent on his way.

International news reports implicate his business partner in money laundering for the Irish Republic Army - which is considered a terrorist organization.

He was found by Police on Wednesday aboard his yacht in San Pedro with twenty two thousand dollars in undeclared currency. He was charged for it and paid a small fine - after which eh was detained by immigration authorities. Checks show that he docked at Cucumber Beach briefly before going to San Pedro.

Channel 7

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Italian Antonio Velardo and Swedish Levente Arangos denied stay in Belize

Two people did not get to enjoy their stay on Ambergris Caye and Belize after they were kicked out of the country by authorities over the weekend. Italian 35-year-old Antonio Velardo and Swedish boat captain 47-year-old Levente Arangos were escorted out of Belize via their vessel "La Aventura." They were escorted by San Pedro Police on the afternoon of Sunday April 28th after the Belize Immigration Department executed a notice forbidding the captain and the lone passenger landing.

The two arrived in Belize and docked at local marina in San Pedro Town on April 24th. After being in the country for 24 hours, the two had refused to declare funds and were later picked up by authorities on the island during a joint operation. During the operation, authorities found a total of US$22,000 inside La Aventura and as a result proceeded to detain the two foreigners.

On Thursday April 25th, both the Central Bank and Financial Intelligence Unit were called in as part of the investigation where Arangos told authorities that $3, 000 Bze was his, while Velardo took responsibility for the remaining amount of $41,000 Bze. Authorities later charged Velardo for a single count of failure to make a declaration (failure to declare money) to which he pleaded guilty before Magistrate Sherigne Rodriguez at the San Pedro Magistrate Court. He was fined $5,000, which he was able to meet, and was set a free man.

Velardo was later re-apprehended, on the strength of an Interpol warrant where he was questioned for suspicion of a money laundering scheme but was later cleared to leave. At that point Immigration official also served his captain with a 'refused leave to land notice (RLL).' According to the Immigration officials, RLL is an order given to undesirable person at any point of entry for one of two reasons; 1) for not meeting the right immigration requirement or 2) for doing something contrary to the law of Belize.

According Senior Immigration Officer Mario Arzu, the captain was served with the RLL since he violated the law of Belize. "He not only failed to declared funds and pleaded guilty, but he was convicted by paying a fine. It is the right the country reserves, thus we served them with the RLL," said Arzu. As such the captain was forced to leave the country along with his passenger, in this instance, the owner of the vessel, Valardo.

The procedure is an administrative one and was executed by immigration officers in San Pedro Town on Sunday afternoon. The two were escorted outside Belizean waters off Ambergris Caye by San Pedro Police, who ensured that the order was complied with and properly executed.

A publication on The Daily Telegraph indicates that Velardo is a profitable and key player in international real estate along with his partner Harry Fitzsimmons in their company, VFI. The company is reported to have developed a turnover of 100 million Euros in less than eight months. Internet information also indicated that Fitzsimmons is wanted in Ireland for a money laundering scheme called the Calabrian Scam. Online media indicates that Fitzsimons was a "middle-man."

Valardo is said to have been in Belize to look at real estate opportunities.

San Pedro Sun

Wealthy Italian Antonio Velardo calls Belize "extremely corrupt"

On Sunday April 28th, 35-year old Italian Antonio Velardo and 47-year-old Swedish boat captain, Levente Arangos were escorted out of Belize via their vessel La Aventura. This was after the Belize Immigration Department executed a notice forbidding the captain and the lone passenger permission to land after they were temporarily arrested and Velardo was charged for failure to declare funds. The two arrived in Belize and docked at a local marina in San Pedro Town on April 24th. After being in the country for 24 hours, authorities found a total of US$22,000 inside La Aventura which both men had failed to declare upon entry into Belize. A month after he was booted out of Belize for "failure to make a declaration", (failure to declare money) which he pleaded guilty to, Velardo spoke to The San Pedro Sun and said that there is more to the story than was told.

According to Velardo, because he had so many forms to fill out, he skipped one section which dealt with funds declaration, but it was unintentional. He said while he agreed that he unintentionally skipped a section on the form, he had enough proof that his money was not illegally gained. He said that while on his vessel, one of the law enforcement officers asked him if he had money in excess of $10,000US. "I replied to her that I had over $20,000 US. She said that on the form I did not declare having more money and because I had already signed the document, I had to be detained. I did sign the form; I had so many forms that at one point I was lost and confused. In addition, I had all these people around and was scared and having so many forms was uncomfortable for me and it was simply an oversight on my part. Now anyone with logical thinking will understand that someone like me has nothing to gain in not declaring that money - it was simply a mistake which I accepted. I travelled with that money because I want to ensure that in the case of emergency, such as a boat failure which would require cash to repair or if I ran out of fuel because of unforeseen circumstances, I want to make sure I have enough cash to pay. I have seen cases where I have attempted to pay by credit card and credit cards are not accepted, and then the next thing you know is that I am stuck in the middle of nowhere without cash. I don't want to be in a similar position. $22,000US was not a lot of money if you travel by boat. Fuel alone for one route amounts to over $5,000. That money is not a lot of money to have if for a person that travels from one point of the Caribbean to another," justified Velardo. He said that his intention was only to meet with investors and explore business opportunities while on the island.

Click here to read the rest of the article and see more photos in the San Pedro Sun

"According to Antonio Velardo the treatment he got in Belize was unnecessary and reflects badly on his reputation."
Ha, That's rich!

Gotta love it.

Carrying $22,000 on a cruising boat is certainly not unusual or unreasonable. He can't count on credit cards etc. in out of the way places

Agreed, so declare it

It's nobody's business how much money someone else has or where it came from. Only spineless slaves would agree to disclose that information to the so-called "authorities" who rob and oppress them. Only a brown nosing fool would condone it.

Most countries have restrictions on the amount of currency you can bring in or out of the country. If you get caught you pay the price, just like he did. The same would happen going into the States or Canada. You can disagree but you will pay if caught.

Declaring money or not, escorting Velardo out of the country and his declaring not to come back is a terrible loss for Belize we are critically short of dubious foreign con-men looking to buy and sell Belizean soil.