U.S. Government to Donate Equipment to Ministry of National Security to Assist Counternarcotic Efforts

On April 23, the United States Government donated over $400,000 USD worth of communications equipment and Boston Whaler sustainment parts to the Belize Ministry of National Security. The donation is part of the U.S. Southern Command’s continued partnership with Belize and was funded by the U.S. counternarcotics program.
The communications equipment is part of a program started in 2014 to provide interoperable secure communications within most of the country for the Ministry of National Security. The material includes 55 Falcon III multiband hand-held radio transceivers with internal GPS, valued at nearly $295,000 USD. The Boston Whaler parts and equipment will help sustain the Belize Coast Guard’s primary patrol vessels.
The donation includes two spares kits, two diagnostic computer packages, engine shop tools, and 22 service kits valued at over $116,000 USD. “The United States is committed to the stability and security of Belize and the essential role it plays in the prosperity and security of the region and the Western Hemisphere as a whole,” said Keith Gilges, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. “This new and upgraded equipment will make it easier for the Ministry of National Security to detect and respond 00to international criminal actors who threaten the safety and security of Belize.”