Orange Walk Woman Walks Free After Trafficking Charges Struck Out In Court

A 46-year-old Orange Walk resident walked free from serious trafficking charges yesterday after the case against her was struck out in the Orange Walk Magistrate’s Court.  Reyna Urbina was cleared of two counts of labour trafficking and two counts of sex trafficking shortly before midday yesterday, after her attorney successfully applied for the matter to be dismissed for want of prosecution.  Urbina was represented by Attorney Dr. Lynden N. Jones, who argued that the Orange Walk Prosecution Branch repeatedly failed to meet disclosure deadlines required under the Belize Criminal Procedure Rules 2016 and prior orders of the court.  Dr. Jones told the court that the ongoing breaches caused unnecessary delays in the proceedings and violated Urbina’s constitutional right to a fair hearing under Section 6 of the Belize Constitution.  After considering the submissions, the presiding magistrate, Sharmaine Gillette, upheld the application and struck out the charges, effectively bringing the case against Urbina to an end.  The charges stemmed from an investigation carried out by the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Police Unit (A-TIPS).  Authorities alleged that on November 13, 2025, Urbina trafficked two adult Central American women for the purposes of labour and sexual exploitation.  Following her arrest and arraignment in November of last year, Urbina had been granted bail of $10,000 with two sureties of $5,000 each, under strict conditions. As part of those conditions, she was required to surrender all travel documents, was prohibited from leaving the country without the court’s permission and was barred from contacting or interfering with the virtual complainants or any witnesses involved in the case.  With today’s ruling, the charges have now been formally struck out, allowing Urbina to leave the court a free woman.