On Tuesday, May 3rd, three Hispanic males were detained and arrested for the possession of drugs and illegal firearms. Police Constable (PC) Genero Samos #1025, along with (Corporal) Cpl Jose Blanco #400 were conducting mobile patrols on Sea Grape Drive in San Pedro Town, when shortly after, information was received that the South Ambergris Caye Neighborhood Watch personnel had detained three male persons at a dock located at the Mosquito Coast Area, approximately one mile south of San Pedro Town.
PC Samos walked toward the beach to a dock, where they saw three men detained by three security officers of the South Ambergris Caye Neighborhood Watch. The men were identified as 20-year-old Christian Espat of San Pedrito area, 19-year-old Rene Kumul of DFC area and 20-year-old Jose Armando Guillen, Salvadoran of Sea Grape Drive, all in San Pedro Town. The security officers also brought forth a black knapsack that the detainees left after attempting to escape. In the presence of the three persons, Cpl Blanco conducted a search and discovered 11 shotgun cartridges and three (3) live rounds of 6.75mm ammunition. Cpl Blanco then informed them of the offence committed, cautioned them, and placed them under arrest.
Also at the dock, an orange colored lanchon boat with a 115h/p outboard engine that had the name “SUPA D” was spotted. PC Samos proceeded to question the male persons if they were on the lanchon. The detainees responded ‘yes’ and mentioned that had docked at that location because they had ran out of gas. PC Samos then informed them that a search would be conducted on the vessel for Illegal drugs and firearms. After the search, a large yellow plastic was found on a compartment at the bow of the vessel, which contained 978.8 grams of Cannabis. A search of the area also led to the discovery of one black 12 gauge pump action shotgun Mossberg Maverick model S/N 9127L, loaded with four 12-gauge cartridges and one black MP-40 9mm Sub Machine gun with retractable/folded butt bearing number 3200 along with two empty magazines. All men were jointly charged with Drug Trafficking and (2) counts of Kept ammunition without a gun license, Kept Prohibited Firearm and Kept a firearm without a gun license.
Espat is no stranger to the San Pedro Police Department, as he has been previously arrested and charged for crimes of the same nature. On April 7, 2016, Espat was arrested along with Alex Espat for the offense of “Possession of Controlled Drugs” and “Drug Trafficking” following the discovery of 23.3 grams of Cocaine and 2.9 grams of Cannabis in their apartment. Christian Espat was also one of two person injured during a drug related shoot out in Northern Ambergris Caye in April of 2014.
In addition, police have not yet confirmed, but there are speculations that the weapons found in the possession of the three men fit the description of those used in the assassination of Frank Edwards Jr. in February of this year.
The Espat family has also lost four sons and two cousins to violence. Eduardo Brahlee Gutierrez (cousin) was one of the three men murdered in northern Ambergris Caye in 2009. In 2012, Charlie Espat (18) and his cousin Daniel Alamilla (17) were found buried in a shallow grave in Orange Walk after being reported missing. In 2014, Rolando Espat Jr. (22) was gunned down near his home in San Pedrito, and in a late night shooting on February 24, 2015, two-year-old Charlie Daniel Espat was killed in a hail of gunfire while he slept.
