As of Tuesday, March 11, eight persons have been charged in connection with the incident. They are all of Orange Walk: Anthony Thurton, 44; Ricardo Rivera, 50; Luis Novelo, 22; Irvin Cantun, 18; Victor Torres, 19; Roy Lanza, 22; Arnoldo Rivas, 44; and Caesar Canche, 39. They were denied bail by Magistrate Headley Stewart and remanded to Hattieville Prison on non-drug-related charges of conspiracy to land an aircraft, control of aviation fuel, illegally landing an aircraft and causing obstruction to the free flow of traffic. There were no drugs of any kind found aboard the plane, leading investigators to believe that the traffickers may have escaped with the drugs, or it may have been dropped beforehand, as police “strongly believe” there was a large quantity, possibly a ton or more, of drugs on the confiscated plane. The police did find equipment for refueling and a substantial amount of aircraft fuel - nine 15-gallon containers, according to reports.
Six suspects were initially detained, all Belizeans. The plane, a twin-engine KingAir Beechcraft with possibly false Venezuela markings, was damaged in the incident and had to be transported to the BDF base at Ladyville.
The Police Anti-Drug Unit, Orange Walk Police Formation under Senior Superintendent Robert Mariano, and the BDF are all participating in the investigation, and we are told that the prisoners were cooperating.Still at large are the individual injured in the original shootout by the BDF, as well as Zacharias Copo, who owns the container truck identified at the scene, and the pilot and co-pilot of the plane. Police are also looking for the drugs they are sure was on the plane and likely moved to another location during the shootout. Speaking with local media Tuesday, Orange Walk’s Sr. Supt. Robert Mariano said whatever information that was gotten from the prisoners was not taken by force, and was gathered in the presence of a Justice of the Peace, and confirmed that some Mexicans may have been involved.
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