_{Top (l-r) Marvin Teul, Freddy Chavez and Christian White; Bottom (l-r) Lerman Leslie, Ronyer Cruz and Angel Aragon}

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Mar. 19, 2025

Six fishermen and a Burrell Boom pastor were escorted into Belize City from Orange Walk to be arraigned today in connection with a big drug bust last night in the Orange Walk District.

_{Pastor Mark Anthony Humes, charged}

Arrested and charged were Mark Anthony Humes, 52, a pastor from Burrell Boom Village who earns his living as a taxi driver, and six fishermen: Lerman Norman Leslie, 31, of Chunox Village, Corozal; Freddy Estuardo Chavez, 43, of San Estevan , Orange Walk District; Angel Aragon, 44, of Sarteneja Village, Corozal District; Marvin Teul, 35, of Sarteneja Village, Corozal District; Ronyer Alexander Cruz, 24, also of Sarteneja Village, Corozal; and 38-year-old Christian Merilyn White.

The group arrived at around 11:25 a.m., and a few minutes later they were escorted into Court #2. Pastor Humes was represented by attorney Dr. Lynden Jones of Corozal, while the other men were unrepresented.

They were jointly read a charge of possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply in connection with 1,137 grams (gross weight) of suspected cocaine with which the men were found.

Allegations are that last night, March 18, 2025, in the Orange Walk District, the group of men were found in possession of 1,137 grams of suspected cocaine which police believe they intended to supply to other persons as part of a drug trafficking arrangement.

The bust was made last night at around 7:00 by police officers of the MIT (Mobile Interdiction Team) and HIT (Highway Interdiction Team).

Officers within these units intercepted a gold Dodge caravan vehicle driven at the time by Pastor Mark Anthony Humes.

Humes, we understand, was hired to take the six fishermen from Belize City to Orange Walk, but the vehicle was intercepted by police before it could reach Orange Walk.

All 7 accused men pleaded not guilty to the charge against them in court, but due to the quantity of suspected cocaine that was in their possession, Section 16 of the Crimes Control and Criminal Justice Act prohibited the Senior Magistrate from granting bail to the men at the time; hence, they were remanded into custody at the Belize Central Prison until May 22, 2025.

The Senior Magistrate of Court #2 informed the men of their rights to apply for bail at the High Court, as the lower court will not be able to grant them bail until after they have spent 90 days on remand.

While warrants were being prepared to remand the 7 men to the Belize Central Prison, however, one of the accused men, Angel Aragon, informed the court that he wanted to change his not guilty plea to guilty.

Contact was then made with Dr. Lynden Jones, who is the attorney representing Pastor Humes, so that he could be present for the proceedings in light of the new development.

After Jones, as a friend to the court, spoke with Aragon, the matter was readdressed in court, with Jones asking the court for a sentencing indication on behalf of Aragon.

Jones made the submission that he was seeking for a fine to be levied against Aragon in light of a guilty plea.

However, the sitting Senior Magistrate, in her sentencing indication, made it clear that a fine would not be given.

She informed Dr. Jones that her starting point for sentencing would be 4 years, since he was facing a possible prison term of 4-7 years; however, she would also take into consideration the mitigating and aggravating factors which could either increase or decrease the sentence; but either way, he would be facing a prison term and not a fine.

After hearing that he would have to go to jail, Aragon rejected the sentencing indication, and the matter was adjourned for May 22, 2025, in the Orange Walk Magistrate’s Court.

One factor that is being taken into consideration is the gross weight of the cocaine.

And while the weight of the drug has been estimated to be 1,137 grams. which is a little over 2 ½ pounds, the sitting Senior Magistrate told the men that the court needed to wait for the certificate to be returned from the lab to determine the actual weight of the suspected cocaine, and if it falls within the threshold.

Attorney Jones submitted that this is Aragon’s first conviction for drugs, and that he is the sole provider for his family, and that he had an ill granddaughter to care for, so he cannot afford to go to jail.

He also added that under the new sentencing guidelines, a fine can be given for a first-time offender for drugs.

The Senior Magistrate explained that the amount of suspected cocaine could change, and the court must wait for the certificate to determine the actual amount of the suspected cocaine, so it would be wise to delay accepting a guilty plea at this time.