By Belize Live News Staff: A recent cocaine seizure in the Turneffe area has turned attention back to a trend that Belizean authorities have long battled—”wet drops”: narcotics dumped into the sea by traffickers escaping maritime enforcement.
Earlier this week, the Belize Coast Guard found one kilo of cocaine in possession of a local fisherman. While the individual was taken into custody, Police Commissioner Chester Williams stated that it remains uncertain whether charges have been brought against the man.
“I know that a person was in custody and I have to check if that person has been charged,” said Williams.
When asked whether the drugs may have come from a capsized or fleeing drug boat, the Commissioner didn’t rule it out.
“I cannot say if it is a matter of boat capsizing or them trying to evade law enforcement, but we have gotten information that there is a number of drugs floating in the water.”
Officials say drug trafficking through Belize’s maritime zone often leads to traffickers abandoning cargo when cornered or caught in bad weather. Such events, known as wet drops, frequently result in bundles of cocaine washing up along beaches or reefs—sometimes discovered by fishermen, others by authorities.
The Coast Guard continues active surveillance in the area, and the police warn that possession of “found drugs” will be treated as a criminal offense.
