Belize Coast Guard

The Special Olympics Belize Torch was hosted in San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, by the island’s police formation after arriving from Belize City on Tuesday, December 3rd. Each year, the torch is brought to San Pedro as part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR). This event takes place in anticipation of the Special Olympic Games, scheduled to begin on Friday, December 6th, at the Marion Jones Stadium in Belize City. The mission of the LETR is to raise awareness and funds for the Special Olympics movement.

On December 1st, another beach clean-up took place at the northern beaches of Ambergris Caye. Significant amounts of rubbish were removed from the area stretching from El Norte Bar to Tranquillity Bay. The initiative, led by local resident Elito Arceo, will continue next year to help keep these beaches litter-free. These northern beaches are popular nesting sites for sea turtles, so organizers urge visitors to refrain from littering, as it can severely impact nesting and the health of these pristine environments.

From November 6-8, 2024, the Military and Naval Commanders of Belize and Mexico, who share maritime and terrestrial boundaries, met in Belize City to discuss a broad range of traditional security-related challenges, including drug trafficking, weapon smuggling, illegal migration and contraband.

On Monday, September 9th, the Belize Coast Guard reported the discovery and removal of drugs, ammunition, and two high-powered rifles while on patrol near Deer Caye in northern Ambergris Caye.

On Saturday, September 7th, a group of vessels, including a large gunboat from the Guatemalan Navy, was seen in southern Belizean waters. The Belize Defence Force (BDF) and the Belize Coast Guard (BCG) approached the Guatemalan military boat. The Guatemalan forces initially claimed they were in their territorial waters, but after some discussion, they complied with Belizean authorities, and the vessels returned to Guatemalan waters.

Over the past months, a series of consultations with crucial San Pedro Town and Ambergris Caye stakeholders have taken place to discuss the Bacalar Chico National Park co-management plan. The consultations led by the Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development (SACD) have captured the feedback from business community representatives, fly-fishing tour guides, local marine biologists, conservation agencies, island residents, and enforcement agencies like the Belize Coast Guard. This input was compiled into a validation session on Friday, August 30th, where the co-management plan was presented and further discussed before it was given to the Ministry of Sustainable Development for official vetting and made available to the public.

The Government of Belize, in its commitment to strengthening the monitoring and enforcement of Belize's ocean space and the conservation and sustainable use of its associated resources under the Blue Bond Program, launched the Belize Coast Guard Drone Squadron. This new squadron will bolster the Belize Coast Guard's capabilities by supporting a second fleet in national enforcement involving modern technology to realize effective surveillance and protection of the Blue Space.

A high-level delegation of senior Belizean defence leaders led by the Minister of National Defence and Border Security, Hon. Florencio Marin Jr., returned to Belize this weekend after a series of meetings with US defense officials in the National Capital Region last week.