7 News Belize

Police Explain Unusual Prisoner Exchange
posted (September 6, 2011)
Last night we told you about Cesar Eligio Marcel Garcia - a Guatemalan residing in Toledo who was handed over to Guatemalan police right inside Punta Gorda Town.

PGTV reports that Garcia is wanted in Guatemala for a murder and Belizean authorities cooperated by arresting him and handing him over to their Guatemalan counterparts.

According to PGTV, On Friday at 4:00, three Guatemalan police arrived in Punta Gorda on a private boat with the family of the murder victim and picked up Garcia.

So, through what arrangement was he handed over? Well today police issued a release saying that on Thursday September 1, PG Police searched a house in the Hopeville Area, where they arrested Cesar Elijio Marcial GARCIA, Guatemalan for Illegal Entry. Garcia was handed over to immigration on Friday to be interviewed. And - they say - while that was happening an Immigration Officer and a Custom Officer arrived Punta Gorda Police Station escorting three 3 uniformed Guatemalan Police who produced a warrant for GARCIA for a Murder committed in Livingston Guatemala.

And apparently all too eager to cooperate - the Immigraiton officers served him with an Order To Leave and put him on a boat bound for Barrios, Guatemala at 4:30pm.

So, it's not a formal extradition, but an informal one - where Garcia was expelled from Belize right into the hands of Guatemalan police.

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