Immigration officers appear to be beefing up enforcement, and a routine check at the Blue House Bar in Ladyville, on Friday, led to the discovery of an employee who allegedly was not in possession of a temporary work permit, leading to the arrest of the bar’s owner, Dora Prado, 54, a naturalized Belizean businesswoman.

Prado pleaded not guilty to one count of employing a person not in possession of a valid temporary work permit when she appeared before Magistrate Leslie Hamilton on Friday.

When Hamilton inquired about her status in Belize, Prado explained that she is originally from Guatemala, but has Belize naturalization papers, and has been living in Belize for the past 30 years.

Hamilton offered her bail of $3,000 plus one surety in the same amount. She is to return to court on March 14.

This, however, is not the first time Prado has been accused of “employing a person not in possession of a valid temporary work permit.” About a year ago, she pleaded guilty to several counts of the same offense.

On Friday morning, according to Immigration officer Albert Munnings, they found a Guatemalan national, Evelyn Carina Perez Jimenez, at the Blue House Bar. She did not have a valid temporary work permit.

Another legal resident, Jose Colindres, 28, was also charged with employing a person not in possession of a valid temporary work permit. Colindres has been living legally in Belize since 1995.

The allegation against Colindres is that he employed Jose Guevara, a Honduran national who did not have work papers.

Colindres pleaded guilty and Hamilton fined him $1,000 plus $5 cost of court. He was ordered to pay $300 forthwith and the balance by April 30, in default of which he will serve six months in prison.

The Immigration Department has also secured a removal order for Jose Guevara after he was fined $1,000 for his illegal status in Belize. It has not been established how long he has been living in Belize illegally.

Aristides Lopez, 40, a Salvadoran who has been residing in the Belama Phase 3 area, was charged with failure to comply with the condition of a visitor’s permit.

Lopez has been in Belize since July 13, 2002, when he entered on a visitor’s visa. Since his arrival, he had obtained several extensions to his visitor’s permit.

The last extension to his permit expired on October 4, 2009.

Lopez pleaded guilty to the offense and Hamilton fined him $1,000, to be paid forthwith, or he would serve six months in prison.