Cocaine's Grip On Belize: A Quarter's Dark Secret

Belize is a small Central American country with a population of around 342,092, making it the least densely populated country in Central and South America. It is bordered by Mexico, Guatemala, and the Caribbean Sea. In recent years, Belize has become a significant transit country for illegal drugs, particularly cocaine, from South America to the United States. Its geographical location, open borders, free trade agreements, and large unpopulated areas have made it an ideal transshipment point for drug traffickers. Belize's limited law enforcement capabilities and lack of radar systems to track drug flights have further exacerbated the issue. The country has seen a surge in cocaine seizures in recent years, indicating the growing drug trafficking problem it faces. The Belizean government has traditionally taken a hardline, zero-tolerance approach towards drugs, but some efforts have been made towards decriminalization and rehabilitation.

Cocaine shipments through Belize

Belize is a small Central American country with borders to Mexico, Guatemala, and the Caribbean Sea. Its location, as well as the increasing violence in Mexico and Guatemala, makes Belize an ideal transshipment point for cocaine en route to the U.S. market.

Belize's anti-narcotics capabilities are limited. The country has no air defence or surveillance radar systems, making it difficult to track drug flights. Its coast guard is largely dependent on the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which has financed 70% of its fleet and trained most of its officers.

Belize has a history of drug trafficking. In the 1960s, marijuana cultivation began in the districts of Corozal and Orange Walk as a response to declining sugar prices. Sugar cane growers turned to marijuana production to make ends meet. Belize's open borders, free trade agreements, and large, unpopulated tracts of land have provided a significant opportunity for drug production and trafficking to thrive.

In recent years, Belize has become further enmeshed in the cocaine pipeline from South America to Mexico and, eventually, the U.S. Approximately 10 tons of cocaine, with a street value of over half a billion dollars, is estimated to pass through Belize each year. The country's limited resources and technological deficiencies make it difficult to effectively combat drug trafficking.

Belize has traditionally taken a hardline, zero-tolerance approach towards drug cultivation, sale, possession, and consumption. However, in 2017, the country took a step towards drug reform by decriminalising the possession of small amounts of marijuana.

Belize has also sought assistance from international allies, including the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., to strengthen its military and police forces. Despite these efforts, drug seizures in Belize have been increasing sharply, underscoring the country's struggle with a surge in cocaine shipments from Colombia.

Belize's anti-narcotics capabilities

Belize's judiciary is also inefficient, with poor case management, insufficient numbers of trained prosecutors and judges, and a limited budget. The country's law enforcement institutions are ineffective, with low conviction rates, and the government is unable to dedicate sufficient resources to crime prevention.

Belize has been aided in its anti-narcotics efforts by the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) has provided assistance to improve border security, disrupt trafficking, and enhance intelligence-driven operations. The U.S. has also donated equipment, including a military version of the Cessna Grand Caravan EX, and funded the acquisition of a modern primary radar for the Belize International Airport. Canada has been involved in several operations to build the capacity of Belize's police and military, including the Anti-Crime Capacity Building Program, while the U.K. has prioritised the development of trade, education, and health programs.

Despite these efforts, drug trafficking and related crimes remain significant issues in Belize, with the country facing an onslaught of drug trafficking and increased violence. The country's anti-narcotics capabilities continue to be outpaced by the ingenuity of drug traffickers, who employ various methods such as "wet drops" and the use of local gangs to facilitate their operations.

Belize's zero-tolerance drug policy

Belize has traditionally taken a zero-tolerance approach towards the cultivation, sale, possession, and consumption of all recreational illicit substances. In 2012, the Belizean government released a press statement announcing the appointment of a committee to evaluate a proposal to decriminalize marijuana possession. The committee was appointed by the Minister of National Security and was to be headed by a former police minister. The proposal sought to remove criminal sanctions for possession of up to 10 grams of marijuana and instead impose fines and mandatory drug education.

In March 2015, the Decriminalization of Marijuana Committee (DOMC) released its final report, recommending that possession of up to 10 grams of marijuana should not be a criminal offense. In November 2017, the Belize Senate passed legislation decriminalizing 10 grams or less of marijuana, and Governor General Sir Colville Young assented to the bill. While this represents a shift from the country's zero-tolerance policy, it is important to note that the cultivation, sale, and distribution of marijuana remain illegal in Belize.

To counter drug trafficking, Belize has sought assistance from its allies, including the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., to strengthen its military and police forces. However, the effectiveness of this militaristic approach has been questioned, as similar strategies have failed in neighboring countries. Some have suggested that Belize should consider alternative approaches, such as marijuana legalization and investment in social programs, to address the drug problem more effectively.

Cocaine production in Colombia

Cocaine is a drug produced from coca leaves. Colombia has long been the top producer of cocaine, with coca leaves being the key ingredient. The area planted with coca bushes in Colombia rose by 13% last year, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with almost two-thirds of coca crops found in the provinces of Nariño and Putumayo, which border Ecuador, and in Norte de Santander, on the Venezuelan border.

Colombia's cocaine production is higher than ever, and this is causing a surge in cocaine moving north from Colombia to Belize, which is a significant transit country for illegal drugs. The Central American country has seen a sharp increase in cocaine seizures, with authorities confiscating about a ton of cocaine from aircraft across the country in 2018.

Colombia's coca market has been in a state of historic collapse, with a sharp and prolonged drop in coca prices. This has resulted in a humanitarian crisis in already impoverished rural territories, with farming families hurting badly and petitioning for emergency assistance.

There are several reasons for the collapse of Colombia's coca markets, including overproduction, disruptions in buyer-seller relationships, changes in demand, peace and conflict dynamics, and policy changes. The country's decision to stop eradicating coca by spraying herbicides from aircraft in 2015 has been cited as a factor, as it has taken time to replace fumigation with efforts to govern coca-growing zones and help farmers transition to other crops.

Despite the current crisis, Colombia remains the world's top coca cultivator and cocaine producer, and the market is expected to reactivate eventually. The country's government has expressed a commitment to reducing coca cultivation and cocaine production, with plans to destroy 200 square kilometers of coca crops and seize a record 834 tons of cocaine by the end of 2024.

Cocaine trafficking in Mexico

Mexico has been a key player in the international drug trade for many decades. Its proximity to the United States, the world's largest consumer of cocaine and other illegal drugs, has made it an ideal location for drug trafficking. Mexican drug cartels control approximately 70% of the foreign narcotics flow into the US, and their influence has only increased since the demise of the Colombian Cali and Medellín cartels in the 1990s.

Mexican cartels distribute Asian methamphetamine to the US, and it is believed that almost half of their revenue comes from cannabis. Cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine are also traded. Despite accounting for only a small share of worldwide heroin production, Mexico supplies a large proportion of the heroin distributed in the US.

The Mexican government has been engaged in an ongoing conflict with various drug trafficking syndicates, known as the Mexican Drug War. When the Mexican military intervened in 2006, the government's primary objective was to reduce drug-related violence and dismantle the cartels. However, the conflict has resulted in escalating violence and a heavy death toll, with critics arguing that the government's militaristic approach has made the problem worse.

The dominant Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) ruled Mexico for around 70 years until 2000, during which time drug cartels expanded their power and political influence. Anti-drug operations during this period focused mainly on destroying marijuana and opium crops in mountainous regions, rather than targeting the core structures of the cartels in urban areas.

The Mexican Drug War has had a significant impact on the country's social and economic fabric. It has exacerbated existing problems such as poverty, lack of educational opportunities, and government corruption. The violence and instability caused by the drug trade have also had negative effects on public health, human rights, and media freedom in Mexico.

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