Corozal Businessman Fined More Than $94K for Illegal Seafood Imports

A Corozal businessman has been fined more than ninety-four thousand dollars after pleading guilty to three counts of illegally importing seafood into Belize. Thirty-four-year-old Leslie Lizarraga appeared in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court today alongside fifty-one-year-old Consejo Village driver David Romano Arana.  The charges arose from an operation conducted by Fisheries officers and police at around four o’clock on Thursday morning. Officers reportedly pursued a silver GMC Sierra pickup truck after it turned around and sped away along the Hattieville-Boom Road. The vehicle eventually ran off the road and became stuck in a ditch.  Hampton Gamboa of the Fisheries Department’s Conservation and Compliance Unit explains how the operation unfolded.

Hampton Gamboa, Supervisor, Fisheries Department: “As it relates to contraband, illegal importations of seafood throughout the entire country of Belize and we had followed some leads and got some intel, and over the past few weeks we sort of intensified our operation and ended up this Wednesday night with a successful operation. Primarily was servicing a number of resorts, supermarkets and so on that are interested in buying shrimp, octopus as well as tilapia fillets and we were vigilant in trying to ensure that we captured the parties that were involved and try to put a dent into this type of illegal operation. From our observation, they are bi-weekly smuggling happening and Belize City is not immune to it it’s also a part of the observation. This operation on Wednesday night was more targeted for the southern part of the country.” 

A search of the pickup reportedly uncovered seven boxes containing three hundred and thirty-five pounds of jumbo shrimp, fifty-eight boxes containing one thousand five hundred and sixty-six tilapia fillets, and a bag containing fourteen pieces of octopus. Several of the boxes reportedly carried Mexican labels.  Both men were initially charged with three counts of illegal importation. Before entering pleas, their attorney, David McKoy, requested a sentencing indication from the court. Lizarraga subsequently pleaded guilty to all three charges, while Arana entered not-guilty pleas. The prosecution later withdrew the charges against Arana, allowing him to leave the court without any further action against him.  Lizarraga was fined five thousand dollars for each of the three importation offences. He was additionally fined fifty dollars for each tilapia fillet, amounting to seventy-eight thousand three hundred dollars, and fifty dollars for each piece of octopus, amounting to seven hundred dollars. Court costs were also imposed, bringing the overall financial penalty to more than ninety-four thousand dollars.  Love News understands that the Fisheries Department has applied for the forfeiture of the GMC Sierra used during the offence. McKoy objected, arguing that the vehicle does not belong to Lizarraga and that its owner must be allowed to challenge the application.  Attorney McKoy spoke with court reporter Anita Nembhard following the court proceedings.  

David McKoy, Attorney: “The vehicle in question, as you were in court, does not belong to either of my clients. It belongs to a third party. So ultimately, the application would need that third party to be present and have an opportunity to make representations before a magistrate court as to the reason why the application should not be granted. So it’s not just because someone has been caught with illegal items, the application is an automatic right that you automatically forfeit your motor vehicle. In this case it has to go to a process and as we should know natural justice is important in any restriction and it is in Belize so you can’t just forfeit somebody’s vehicle and say well that’s it so that person needs to be heard first. The case concluded this morning, my client, one of my clients pled guilty. Actually he didn’t want to waste the court’s time and the other one pled not guilty and as a result the fisheries prosecutor withdrew the charge against the second one who did not pled guilty. And so my client will ordinarily have to pay a fine and he has been cooperating with the fisheries prosecutor so he will pay his fine and it is his first time that he’s been caught up with this type of offense so he will pay his fine and will continue with his life. Of course it is serous and again the fine dictates the seriousness of the offense. So into the specifics of that I would not be able to go into but again he of course the facts that were read by the prosecutor, I kind of agree to it so you know that is far as I can say. I’m sure that he may be in a position to make the payment and because the magistrate explained to him fully what is his obligation and if he fails to meet his obligation, the consequences of that but I do feel that the magistrate was lenient with him given that he is a first time offender and I’m sure that he would be in a position to make the payment so that he can continue his life as a business man.”

Lizarraga was given until December 31 to pay the three five-thousand-dollar fines, with imprisonment prescribed in default. He was given until February 2027 to pay the additional per-piece penalties. Those amounts are subject to distress, meaning the court may seize and sell his property to recover the outstanding fines. Failure to satisfy the penalties could also result in further committal proceedings.  The magistrate adjourned that matter until the registered owner can be notified and heard. The pickup remains in the custody of the Fisheries Department