In August of 2003 Belizeans Customs officer Ari Curtis Vanzie made international
headlines when he was busted in a drug vessel along with four Colombians and
three tonnes of cocaine. He was sentenced to jail time to be served in a U.S.
federal penitentiary. But after being in prison for six years he made a request
under the Inter-American Convention on serving criminal sentences abroad to
finish his sentence in Belize. That was worked out, and Vanzie returned home
today.
He and Ronald Smith another man who was serving a separate conviction in the
United States, applied under the same Inter-American Convention, and were both
taken to Belize City Magistrate’s Court today. Remarkably, police blocked
the media from entering the court hearing saying it was confidential. Of course,
nothing that happens in open court is confidential, still the media was kept
out. Police also worked to have the prisoners escape our cameras- the only shot
we got was of them speeding off down the street.
So what is all the cloak and dagger activity about? We can’t say, but
know that these are the first two convicted persons being sent back to Belize
from the United States under this convention. They were taken to the Hattieville
Prison where they will serve the remainder of their sentences.
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