The Belize Defence Force, cracking down on illegal activities being carried out by Guatemalans in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, carried out an operation in May dubbed “Incisive Gallop” in the areas of Ceballo Sapote and Valentin Camp in the forest reserve.
The areas suffer regular incursions by Guatemalans and the operation destroyed 25 illegally cultivated fields planted with pumpkin, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, cassava, plantain and bananas.
The BDF announced that the 5-day operation, from March 15 to 20, destroyed 29 acres of pumpkin, 90 acres of corn, 10 acres of beans, and 6 acres containing sweet potatoes, cassava, plantain, and bananas. Several recent clearings along the border were also discovered and recorded.
The aim of the operation was to discourage illegal activities and also to detect and detain persons engaged in activities which break immigration and forestry laws.
The BDF said that this operation follows the successful eradication of 35 weed fields countrywide in which over 57,353 marijuana plants, along with 160 pounds of processed marijuana and a total of 28½ pounds of marijuana seeds were destroyed by fire.
The value of the drug destroyed was said to be about US $29 million. The operation was facilitated by the US Military Joint Task Force Bravo, based in Soto Cano Air Base in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.