The San Pedro Sun office has been made privy to a letter from the San Pedro Police Department to the Head of the Fisheries Department outlining a serious security risk concerning the Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve. In the letter dated October 16th, concerns are outlined regarding the closely monitored and constant rogue-like behavior of a ranger stationed at the reserve. A copy of the letter has also been sent to the top officials at the Police Department, including the Minister of National Security for immediate action. However up to press time, the ranger is still attached and stationed at the reserve.
In the letter, the police officer points out that Fisheries Officer Roberto Carballo has been closely monitored and has even confessed to having individuals working for him as playadores (drug beachcombers) who wait for wet drops (drugs that wash up on the beach). “(During an interview) Mr. Roberto Carballo confessed to have individuals he brings from Corozal to walk the beachside in search of illegal drugs, also known as ‘wet drop,’ which is then turned over to him. Mr. Roberto Carballo has further confessed to being involved in numerous criminal activities,” stated the letter addressed to the Head of the Fisheries Department.
Beachcombing is a very serious and dangerous activity on northern Ambergris Caye and has led to multiple unsolved murders over the past ten years. Such activity has also resulted in murderous activities in other parts of the country. These types of operations were also outlined in the letter, which alleges that the police have been carefully investigating and gathering intelligence information, which indicated that Carballo has been involved with two families on the island who are well known by police as some of the most dangerous criminal elements on the Ambergris Caye.
While the police letter named the two families that the fisheries officer is allegedly associated with and has criminal dealings with, they indicate that “(the) concern is Mr. Roberto Carballo, who poses a very serious security risk to your office at the Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve. Reliable information gathered is that he is wanted dead by the Mexican Cartel; these people have no regard for human life and will go to dangerous ends to prove their point,” added the letter.
The letter ended by warning the Department and higher-ups of the Ministry of National Security to have Carballo removed from his post and for the department to carry out their own internal investigation and to “act swiftly” to prevent an unfortunate incident. Up to news time, the officer was still working and remains attached as staff member at the reserve.
Readers may recall that earlier this year, head of the Tourism Police Unit had written to the Ministry of National Security about the security risk at the Caracol Archeological Site. That letter went unaddressed and it was not until the murder of Tourism Police Danny Conorquie, that authorities addressed the issue.
The letter in which Carballo has been signaled out was also sent to the Officer Commanding Belize Police Eastern Division, the Commissioner of Police, Chief Executive Officer and the Minister at the Ministry of National Security. When contacted by The San Pedro Sun, both the officer Commanding Belize Police Eastern Division, Deserie Phillips and the Minister of the Ministry of National Security’s secretary stated that they were unaware of the letter.
Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve falls directly along the Belize-Mexico border on the northernmost part of Ambergris Caye. The border is only separated by a man-made channel created centuries ago by the Maya and is only about 20 feet at its widest point.
