From: The San Pedro Sun
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The [Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement] MLAT treaty is of particular importance, since both Belize Customs and Mexican authorities recognize the porosity of the Rio Hondo border with regard to informal trade of many commodities in demand by Belizean consumers, which in turn provides a medium for the illegal trafficking of narcotics, weapons and even human trafficking. This was high-lighted by the recent assassination in Chetumal of a notorious underworld figure, “El Espanol”, who was reportedly responsible for much of the illegal smuggling of cigarettes into Mexico, and who somehow had managed to take up residence in the Corozal Commercial Free Zone (CFZ). Recent large seizures of millions of contraband cigarettes believed to have originated from the CFZ, also highlighted that the sheer quantities of cigarettes imported into the CFZ reportedly far exceed what might be expected to be consumed by Belizean consumers, inviting the suspicion that these cigarettes are intended for illegal smuggling into Mexico.
Quesnel noted that Mexican and Belizean health authorities continue to cooperate to promote the good health of their citizens by reducing the consumption of cigarettes and tobacco; and such illegal contraband of cigarettes was regrettable.
