And while the investigation into possible criminal wrongdoing by police continues, the US Embassy is applauding police for a job well done.
A release issued this evening says, quote, "The U.S. Embassy commends the Belize security forces for the…major drug bust…This operation, which was a collaboration between the Belize Police Department and the Belize Defence Force, shows the importance of cooperation between law enforcement and other security agencies to combat criminal organizations.
But, the release adds, quote, "Belize remains on the U.S. "Majors" list - those nations deemed to be major illicit drug producing and/or transit countries - but this weekend's action shows the important work Belize is doing to combat the transshipment of illegal drugs. We urge the Government of Belize to intensify these efforts and prosecute offenders."
And that's just what police are trying to do in this case, but with so much US-bound cocaine passing through these borders, they are fighting an uphill battle. Jules Vasquez looked at the recent history of 9 plane landing in the past 10 months - with only one intercept:
Jules Vasquez reporting
26 bales of cocaine - more than a thousand pounds - a street value of upwards of 7 million US dollars; all that in this small plane. But there have been 9 planes intercepted or abandoned or destroyed since November of last year. In most cases they were burned and destroyed, in some cases the narcos didn't have time to burn them. In all previous cases - no drugs were found on board - the illicit cargo had already been transferred by the time the police found the aircraft or its remains. But, while 9 planes - or their remains - have been found, we wonder how many more passed through and how many tons of cocaine must have passed through as well.
Jules Vasquez- Reporter
"If this small little single engine plane had over a thousand pounds of cocaine- 1,225- if it had all that cocaine then what was in the jet?"
Allen Whylie- Commissioner of Police
"I know the size of the jet is obviously much bigger than Cessna plane that we found. We also know that those planes, and that jet, had been processed and the forensic people, again, had not detected any signs of any cocaine. So, we don't know what may have been the cargo but it is right to speculate that it could have been cocaine."
And of course, there is public uncertainty. Even with more than a thousand pounds of cocaine waiting to be destroyed, there is widespread public cynicism. For police it is a thankless job and there are no wins. If they catch a plane then there are public doubts about whether the cocaine is real or if it was all just a set up. And if they don't catch any planes then there are complaints about incompetence or criminal complicity.
DCP Chester Williams- Commander OPS
"To chase a plane in Belize is not an easy task because the plane can land anywhere from the Rio Hondo to the Sarstoon, from the west to the east."
Reporter
"Is the government doing anything along with the police department to try to restore some sort of confidence because people don't have any trust in the police department anymore?"
Hon. John Saldivar- Minister of National Security
"I, first of all, have to take an issue with where you get your empirical evidence that 95% of this country is skeptical about the police department. I challenge you on that but obviously I don't have the empirical evidence but I know that you certainly do not. The government of Belize and certainly the Ministry of National Security has been working diligently to try to change our modus, to change our strategies and all we can say at this time is that the changes that we 
have made, we believe, have led to this great success."
The US "majors" list features Belize as one of 21 countries deemed to be major illicit drug producing and/or transit countries.
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