Lost BDF Rifle in Guatemala: Authorities Decide Against Purchasing Weapon from Criminal Elements

In mid-October, an M4 carbine rifle belonging to the Belize Defence Force was allegedly lost by a Lance Corporal. The BDF launched an investigation into the missing weapon and their sources led them to Guatemala, where criminal elements reportedly were in possession of the weapon and offered to sell it back to the BDF. Today, commander of the BDF Brigadier General, Azariel Loria, confirmed that they were in talks with those purportedly in possession of the weapon but ultimately decided against buying it back.

Brig. Gen. Azariel Loria, Commander, Belize Defence Force: “We tried to track the weapon and from our sources and we tracked it and it was somewhere in Melchor Guatemala and we were notified that it’s a rifle that went missing by the police department so we provided our statements to them and they took it from there. The investigation that we were conducting our sources they were talking to them. We spoke about it and we said it’s just like when you’re dealing with terrorists you may or may not negotiate with terrorists but that’s an avenue of approach that you could do and we decided because this has international ramifications and consequences we will not do that and we left it at that. The investigation is being done and as I mentioned he is on active duty up to now but whenever we get the necessary paperwork we will see what to do but I think that based on what we have that a weapon went missing and that we know in this case that he is the culprit something will have to happen and it will happen like in the coming days.”

Loria said that the Lance Corporal is still on active duty but is confined to the BDF camp and no longer has access to any weaponry. The BDF is contemplating disciplinary action against him, based on the outcome of an ongoing investigation.