By Breaking Belize News Staff: Prime Minister John Briceño says an additional gate at the Corozal Commercial Free Zone has been closed as authorities continue efforts to address concerns surrounding cigarette trafficking and the possible involvement of Mexican drug cartels.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Briceño was questioned about the situation at the Free Zone following recent major cigarette seizures in Mexico and concerns about pressure from the United States.
The Prime Minister said that, as far as he was aware, the additional gate previously operating at the facility had been closed.
He also confirmed that American officials had visited the Free Zone and were shown the measures and operations being implemented.
Briceño maintained that Belize was doing its best to address the concerns.
Asked whether American authorities had been pressuring Belize over activities at the Free Zone, the Prime Minister said U.S. officials had never approached him to demand that the facility be closed.
However, he acknowledged that concerns had been raised about the potential infiltration of Belize by Mexican drug cartels, reiterating his longstanding position that everything possible must be done to keep those criminal organizations out of the country.
Briceño also suggested that the movement of cigarettes exported from the Free Zone into Mexico was a matter for Mexican authorities to address.
The discussion comes as Mexican authorities intensify their crackdown on illicit cigarette trafficking.
On November 6, Mexico’s Secretariat of the Navy announced that authorities had seized approximately 481 million illicit cigarettes, equivalent to 678 tonnes, between 2024 and 2026.
Mexican authorities estimated the seizures had disrupted criminal operations by approximately 2.375 billion Mexican pesos, identifying organized crime networks, particularly the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, among those affected.
The Mexican report did not establish that those seizures originated from Belize’s Corozal Free Zone.
The Prime Minister’s comments nevertheless underscore the continuing scrutiny surrounding the Free Zone and efforts to prevent cross-border criminal activity.
The post PM Briceño says controversial extra gate at Corozal Free Zone has been closed, denies U.S. demanded closure of Free Zone appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: Prime Minister John Briceño says an additional gate at the Corozal Commercial Free Zone has been closed as authorities continue efforts to address concerns surrounding cigarette trafficking and the possible involvement of Mexican drug cartels. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Briceño was questioned about the situation at the Free Zone
The post PM Briceño says controversial extra gate at Corozal Free Zone has been closed, denies U.S. demanded closure of Free Zone appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
