New details emerge on Belize-registered aircraft shot down by Bolivarian Air Force after Cozumel stopover

By Horace Palacio: More information has been released regarding the Belize registered aircraft that was intercepted and shot down this week by the Bolivarian Air Force. According to a report from Riviera Maya News, the plane had made a stopover on the island of Cozumel after departing from Belize before being shot down in the state of Zulia, along the Colombia border.

The aircraft, a white twin-engine Gulfstream with the registration V3-GRS, was brought down by personnel from the Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana (FANB). Video footage from the scene showed the plane ablaze on a dirt road in a jungle area. GJ. Domingo Hernández Lárez, the Operational Strategic Commander, stated in a public announcement that the FANB had “immobilized and rendered unusable on the ground an invading plane from Cozumel – Mexico in the Catatumbo municipality of Zulia state.”

The Venezuelan radar systems had detected the aircraft entering the national airspace with its transponder off and without the required permission, prompting the activation of a defense plan to neutralize the perceived threat. The Venezuelan authorities presume the aircraft was utilized by transnational groups to traffic drugs and weapons across the national border.

The incident has led to Venezuela reaffirming its capability to safeguard its airspace with the necessary technology to deter and respond to any unauthorized entries. Hernández Lárez emphasized Venezuela’s commitment to peace and the continuous battle against drug trafficking, terrorism, and organized crime, putting the nation’s security as a paramount concern.

In the aftermath, the Cozumel Commander of Military Air Base No. 4, Roberto González Piedras, provided details from the Mexican Army’s review, confirming that the plane had indeed arrived from Belize. The aircraft is owned by a Belizean company.

Reportedly, the plane first touched down in Cozumel on January 14 at 3:40 p.m. under the control of an American pilot and a Mexican co-pilot, with no passengers on board. After spending a night at the airport, the aircraft departed the following day around noon, with Granada listed as its destination in the flight plan. It returned to Cozumel on January 24 at 11:10 a.m.

González Piedras noted that on both occasions, the plane underwent thorough inspections, revealing no irregularities and possessing all the necessary documentation, leaving no grounds to deny takeoff. Customs, the National Immigration Institute (INM), and the National Guard with canine units are typically responsible for inspecting landing aircraft for illicit cargo.

As for the fate of the crew after the aircraft departed Mexico, González Piedras maintained that their activities beyond Mexican jurisdiction were not within their responsibility, hence they could not provide details on the number of individuals on board when the plane was shot down.

The downing of the aircraft has highlighted the complexity of international air travel regulations and the stringent measures nations may take to protect their borders from unauthorized or suspicious flights.

Photo credit: Riveria Maya News

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