Six Fishermen Acquitted in Orange Walk Cocaine Case

Six fishermen who were charged in connection with the discovery of more than a kilogram of cocaine in Orange Walk last year have been acquitted after their attorney successfully made a no-case submission.  The men were among a group detained in March 2025 after police intercepted a gold Dodge Caravan travelling from Belize City toward Orange Walk. Police reported finding 1,137 grams of suspected cocaine, resulting in the six fishermen and taxi driver Pastor Mark Anthony Humes being jointly charged with possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply. Humes was subsequently cleared and the charge against him withdrawn, while the case continued against the six fishermen. Attorney David McKoy, who represented the six men at trial, says he made a no-case submission after the prosecution closed its case. McKoy spoke about the arguments he advanced before the court and how the submission ultimately resulted in his clients being acquitted of the charge.

David McKoy, Attorney: “And the matter was set for trial today. We actually went to a trial and at the end of the prosecution’s case I made a no case submission on my client’s behalf.”

Reporter: And so with that no case submission, since the case is over, could you say on what grounds did you file that no case submission? 

David McKoy, Attorney: “Well, there were several grounds why. And the reason for the no case submission hinges primarily on the fact that the prosecution was not able to establish that the six men that were in that taxi on that particular date had the cocaine as accused and as well that they had knowledge that the cocaine was there. Further more that they actually was in possession of this cocaine. The prosecution attempted to, through their main witness,  persuade the court that these persons were liable. But the case broke down significantly under cross examinations and it became apparent I believed to the prosecutor that the case wasn’t a strong one and he did not even object to or made any response to the no case submissions that were made on my client’s behalf.”

McKoy says one of the more perplexing aspects of the case was the decision to clear Humes early in the proceedings, despite the drugs having allegedly been discovered in the taxi vehicle he was driving. Reports at the time indicated that Humes had been hired to transport the six men and that a statement provided during the investigation cleared him of knowledge of the drugs. His charge was withdrawn on March 21, 2025, two days after the group was arraigned. 

David McKoy, Attorney: “But the the puzzling fact for me is that there were seven of them charged and as you know that If you are in a vehicle where suspected drugs or illegal firearm is found the owner of the vehicle is also charged. And in this case he was charged but subsequently acquitted for reasons I believe that the prosecution mentioned in court but in any event he was charged by the arresting officer. So the arresting officer I don’t know if he had any knowledge as to why the person who was charged the charges were withdrawn from him. He was never able to answer that definitively.”

Reporter: So he never made it to court?

David McKoy, Attorney: “Actually he was a part of the prosecution’s witness, he was slated to be called but because there was a no case of submission made the prosecution closed the case without calling him, there was not much for the court to consider. Only what was said and what was said by the prosecution wasn’t in the court’s respectful view wasn’t enough and so the no case submission upheld.”

The six fishermen had maintained their innocence after being charged. With the court upholding the defence’s no-case submission, the men have now been cleared of the drug charge stemming from the March 2025 bust.