Azteca, the mega-yacht which caused much uproar on Ambergris Caye by environmental organizations and local tour guides, flew its Bermudan flag as it dropped anchor on San Pedro Town waters. According to reports the vessel, named Azteca, dropped anchor within meters of the reef early Tuesday morning in a depth of about 35 feet of water. Law enforcement officers including members from the Department of Environment (DOE), San Pedro Police, Immigration, Customs and The Belize Coast Guard were dispatched to the area where the captain, 49-year-old Mexican, Salvador Villeras Eckart who resides in Cancun, Mexico was detained. As pictured, he was escorted to the San Pedro Police Department at approximately 2:00 p.m.


Unconfirmed reports allege that the yacht is owned by Ricardo BenjamÃn Salinas Pliego, considered one of the world’s richest man and owner of Azteca Television based in Mexico. The San Pedro Sun understands that Pliego and his family intended to stay in Belize for the Easter holiday after which he was scheduled to travel to Livingston, Guatemala.