Posted: Friday, April 18, 2025. 9:39 am CST.
By Horace Palacio: Emerging reports reveal that Akinyela Sawa Taylor, the American national who hijacked a Tropic Air flight bound for San Pedro, had a prior encounter with the Police at the Corozal Free Zone just days before the incident.
According to media sources, Taylor exited Belize legally through the northern border on Friday, April 11, presumably en route to Mexico. However, he resurfaced a day later, reportedly spending the night in the Corozal Free Zone without officially re-entering the country through immigration procedures.
Police were alerted to his presence on Saturday, April 12, and escorted him back into Belize—but he was never legally re-admitted, raising serious questions about how he managed to move freely within the country.
Despite this irregularity, Taylor was released without charges and allowed to go about on his own reconnaissance. The very next day, he was at the Ranchito airstrip, where he boarded the now-infamous Tropic Air flight that would be hijacked mid-air.
The sequence of events is prompting scrutiny into border protocols and police decision-making, especially given the outcome that endangered 14 passengers and crew onboard the flight.
Investigations continue.
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The post Airplane hijacker had prior encounter with Police at northern border appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Emerging reports reveal that Akinyela Sawa Taylor, the American national who hijacked a Tropic Air flight bound for San Pedro, had a prior encounter with the Police at the Corozal Free Zone just days before the incident.
The post Airplane hijacker had prior encounter with Police at northern border appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.