39 year old Joseph Budna, he escaped from a Guatemalan prison at the end of May, and had been on the run for weeks, but police found him in Camalote village this morning. Based on intelligence from Special Branch, Belmopan police detained Budna at a home in that western village this morning.
There wasn't much ACP Myvette could tell us about it at the 11:00 am press brief:
ACP Joseph Myvett
"This morning, I believe shortly after nine, the details are still sketchy, police carried out an operation in Camalote Village where one Joseph Budna was found at a home and he has been taken into custody at this point in time. No other information is yet available. As I said, this is something that just recently occurred earlier this morning."
Reporter
"Do we have an extradition treaty with Guatemala?"
ACP Joseph Myvett
"Hence the same reason I did not want to go into details because I am not prepared to deal with the case other than to say that yes he is in police custody."
And while ACP Myvette watched his words about any extradition treaty with Guatemala very carefully, and some argue that Budna is not wanted in Belize, we note that there is an "Interpol Red Notice" out for Budna. He's listed on the Interpol site as wanted by The United States for: 1) Hostage Taking 2) Conspiracy to Commit Hostage Taking 3) Using and Carrying a Firearm during and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
Now, that's sounds a lot like what he was sentenced to 25 year in jail for Guatemala for, but Interpol says he is wanted by the US.
A Red Notice is not an arrest warrant, but merely a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. So, we'll see where this one goes. He remains in Belize police detention tonight.
Email
Print