Orange Walk Woman Charged in Labour and Sex Trafficking Case

A 46-year-old Belizean woman, Reyna Urbina of the Orange Walk District, has been arrested and charged with two counts of labour trafficking and two counts of sex trafficking, following a joint investigation led by the Anti-Trafficking in Persons (A-TIPS) Police Unit. Authorities say Urbina allegedly trafficked two adult Central American women for both labour and sexual exploitation.  Urbina was released on bail under strict conditions, including a $10,000 bail with two sureties, surrendering all travel documents, court-approved travel only, and a prohibition on contacting any complainant or witness. She is additionally required to sign in every Wednesday and Friday at the Orange Walk Police Station. Her case has been adjourned to January 16, 2026.  Minister of Human Development, Thea Garcia-Ramirez spoke on the case, indicating that the victims are under the ministry’s care.

Thea Garcia Ramirez, Minister of Human Development: “In this case, they have to be removed. We are able to secure housing, secure housing for them, to ensure wherever possible. And again, we have to realize that these people are victims. They have not committed any crime. Crimes were committed against them. So while we try not to restrict their movements, sometimes for their own safety, will have to curtail their movements and ensure that they’re in a place where they might feel like they could have that freedom of movement to move about to come and go. What we try to do is to work with immigration to secure a temporary residence of some sort to allow them the dignity of trying to put their life back together. We offer counseling and a safe house to try to give them in as much as possible a sense of stability and normalcy.”

Minister Garcia-Ramirez explained that there is an inter-ministerial committee that provides oversight on cases of human trafficking.  She added that the system takes on victims up until the court case concludes.  According to the minister, cases of human trafficking are not limited to migrants to sex work.

Thea Garcia Ramirez, Minister of Human Development: “We have to understand what trafficking is. You know, a lot of these people are not able to have any kind of freedoms. We are not, you know, people who are trafficked are not there because of their own free will. We have to realize that they are victims. Every case is different. Not every trafficking case involves foreign nationals. There are cases of trafficking that involve Belizeans as well. So it all depends. There are cases where trafficking is trafficking of minors. A lot of people equate trafficking with sex work and sex workers, people are trafficked for a variety of reasons. And some people are already Belizeans so sometimes they are moved because that’s what they want to happen. You know, they want a fresh start and they, or they have some sort of support in another part of the country, we aid in the, in the movement. So if it is that they want to be repatriated then we go through the process for that as well.”

The operation that saw the arrest of Reyna Urbina was the result of a collaborative national and international effort involving the A-TIPS Unit, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Immigration Department, the Department of Human Services Alternative Care Unit, INTERPOL Belize, and non-governmental agencies that support the government’s anti-trafficking work.  It is interesting to note that Urbina was charged previously in July 2023 for facilitating the illegal entry of a Guatemalan national into Belize./