Travel Announcements

Travel Information - May 12, 2006

The recent hold-ups by armed bandits in the Caracol and Augustine areas and Chiquibul Road area of Mountain Pine Ridge necessitate a public advisory for residents of Belize who may be planning to travel to that area or who have guests/tourists visiting there.

Spanish-speaking bandits armed with AK-47s, hand guns and machetes have made sporadic raids on tourists traveling in vans as well as swimming in the Rio Frio Caves.  The incidents began in Fall 2005.  The two most recent attacks happened April 14 and April 28, 2006.  Tourists were robbed of cash, jewelry, cameras and passports. None of the stolen goods have been recovered. Up to this point, none of the victims have sustained personal bodily injuries.

This is a particularly isolated area with no mobile signals accessible for victims to call for police assistance.  While the bandits appear suddenly along the road to stop vans, it is believed that the attacks are well-planned.  The Belize Police Department and Belize Defense Force have coordinated efforts to patrol the area on a regular basis and are working with local resorts, but no arrests have been made.

The Department of State advises U.S. citizens traveling or residing in Belize to be alert to the potential of highway banditry in the western/southwestern part of the country, especially along unpaved roads.  It is strongly recommended that the area be avoided until the assailants have been arrested or until substantial progress has been made in the case.

For additional information, please read the Consular Information Sheet for Belize that can be located through the State Department Travel site.