A Gulf Stream jet, laden with an unknown quantity of cocaine, touched down in a remote area of the country in the wee early hours this morning. The Joint Intelligence Operations Center was notified of a flight pattern originating in South America that indicated that the aircraft was headed to Belize. Immediately, law enforcement teams were scrambled to various locations that were believed to be the possible landing site of the drug plane. After crossing into Mexican airspace, the aircraft made a u-turn and headed to southern Belize, landing in a far-flung area behind Monkey River Village. By the time officers responded to that location, the airplane had already been discharged of its payload which was ferried over water, presumably to Mexico. Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, provided additional details. 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police, B.P.D.

" Sometime after nine p.m. last night, a track was declared leaving South America and heading our way. The information was relayed through J.I.O.C. and based on that, J.I.O.C. contacted our operations commander for us to relinquish operation of the, or control of the operation teams, that is the Q.R.T. or the A.N.U. and some elements of the M.I.T. and Special Patrol Unit to them for deployment in the respective areas that we would normally deploy. As you would know that in order to maximize on our resources, we would normally have police, B.D.F. and coast guard deployed. And so that was done from around 9:30 p.m. last night and we continued to monitor the track until it entered our airspace which was sometime after one a.m. last night and it passed our airspace and went into Mexico's airspace. It stayed over Mexico for a few minutes and then it made a turn and came back into our airspace. Now, notwithstanding the fact that it had passed our airspace and went into Mexico, we still maintained our presence in the areas where we were deployed because we have seen this happen before where, with a view to avoid us, they would go into Mexico and let us believe that they are going to land there and then make a quick turn and come back into Belize and so, based on that we maintained our presence in the areas where we were deployed. And yes, the plane then came and went south and made landing on a small little island type area in the Monkey River area."

Drugs Were Ferried By Sea to Parts Unknown

According to ComPol Williams, the responding officers were once again met with spikes that punctured their vehicle tires. While a Mexican air asset was aloft, the coast guard vessel that was dispatched to the location did not arrive in time to intercept the fleeing go-fast boats.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police, B.P.D.

"We had a team which was based about ten miles away from where the plane landed but that was just a four-man team. Notwithstanding that, the team attempted to go to the area where the plane landed but again, they were met by spikes on the road and that disabled the vehicle from proceeding to the particular area. Now, remember I said that this area is surrounded by water, and so, the road that had the spike would have only taken the team probably about a mile or so from where the plane had landed and then when they got to that location, there is a lagoon that they would have had to cross, a very deep lagoon. And so by foot, the team was not able to get to the location, they had to use boats. With the assistance of the coast guard they were able to get on that area where the plane had landed. Now while the plane was on the ground, we had aerial assistance from Mexican air assets and they has indicated to us, play by play what was happening and they said that there was like several A.T.V.s and there were three boats right by the lagoon and the cargo was loaded from the plane and the A.T.V.s were used and taken to the boat and then the boats took the drugs through the sea and perhaps went over to the Mexican side through the sea."

Drug Plane Lands Successfully, Removing It will be Difficult

The aircraft landed successfully on a marshy island and is intact; however, removing it from the location, says the Commissioner of Police, will be a challenge.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police, B.P.D.

"Through J.I.O.C., coast guard assistance was requested because the information was relayed by the Mexican air assets. We knew then that it would have been impossible to capture these persons via road and the only possible way would have been through the sea. But again, the coast guard vessel was not within striking distance and so by the time they got to the location, vessels had left with the cargo. Our Mexican counterparts were contacted and I guess they are still on alert on the Mexican side to see if those boats are going to arrive in Mexico with the cargo that came on that plane. The plane is a gulfstream jet and this is one of the rare occasions where the jet or the plane was not destroyed. It was still intact, but getting it out of that area may pose some significant challenges because the area is soft and we can see where the plane appears to be stuck, so I don't think we would be able to move it from there. We found a number of small items in the area, including an A.T.V. that was submerged in the lagoon and our investigation into that matter continues."

Channel 5