Tuesday, July 7th, 2015. BMG: A group of Cubans are now facing time on remand after they were caught in Orange Walk on Friday, July 3rd, without proper documentation to be in Belize.
According to cops in the north, they were on mobile patrol on Friday morning and noticed a group of people acting suspiciou
sly beside a Toyota Van. Further checks by officers revealed that 6 persons were hiding in a drain nearby. All 6 people were found out to be Cubans and were charged with “Illegal Entry” by the Immigration Department.
The driver of the van, Belizean National, Lucilo Mesh, was charged for aiding and abetting illegal immigrants. Mesh met bail and was later released. Later that same day at the bus terminal in Orange Walk, 13 more Cubans were intercepted by police while trying to board a bus on Dunn Street.
They were unable to provide visitors’ permits and were all arraigned and fined $1005 each to be paid forthwith, failure to do so resulting in 6 months in prison. It was requested by the Immigration Department that the court grants a removal order from the country for all the Cubans to be deported back to Cuba.
Authorities say an influx of Cubans have sought asylum in the United States and from all accounts, missed their boat in Ecuador and ended up in Belize.
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