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So, from that we learn that even after Dermen's name was rejected by the US, based on Saldivar's prodding, the request went back to the protocol section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This is new insight into Saldivar's involvement with Dermen - but leader of the opposition John Briceno will not be fazed.  He's already formed his conclusion on this - and at an impromptu press conference today said the Prime Minister should stop avoiding what Briceno believes is an inevitable conclusion:

Hon. John Briceno - Leader of the Opposition
"Probably it's only the Prime Minister that's trying to behave as if John Saldivar is some way or the other is not involved with this case. Once again, once again, John Saldivar is disgracing this country that has happened several times by being associated with the wrong kind of persons - we already know the unfortunate issue of Pastor Lu and here comes again now with a massive fraudster that is locked up in the United States. I think that the proverbial noose is tighten around John Saldivar and also around the neck of the Prime Minister who continues to try to defend John Saldivar. If the Prime Minister is trying to downplay this issue about the text messages, then we need to ask ourselves, why is it that the Justice Department is fighting so hard, to keep these text messages as part of the evidence that they are presenting in the US courts in Utah. All they need to do, as a government, they could request the documents from the Justice Department in Utah, either the Prime Minister could do it, the Attorney General could do it or the FIU could do it. I think in Spanish, we have a simple word that we say, Basta, like enough, we're just fed up of this crowd and the Prime Minister needs to act and he needs to act now. He needs to fire John Saldivar from the Cabinet and John Saldivar should do for the first time, do something right, which is to resign from the National Assembly as the representative of the good people of Belmopan."

Responding directly to those comments today about speaking to the Justice Department in Utah, the Prime Minister's statement this evening says, quote, 

"I note that the US Charge, with whom I had personally spoken, has now made it publicly clear that the US Embassy is in no position to provide material (not yet disclosed) to Belize from a US trial.

Finally, I also got in touch with the FIU Director who confirmed that the FIU had/has nothing on Lev Dermen or anyone associated with him."