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But, later that day, a woman was caught coming across the Hondo into Patchakan village. And then, by Saturday afternoon, a family of four was captured on camera coming over an illegal crossing, right into the hands of police. Today in Belmopan, the commissioner of police told us they will be charged - but, after quarantine:

These four San Pablo residents - two adults and their minor-aged children crossed at a known smuggling route from Chetumal. Police were on patrol and caught them where the father explained that they had crossed into Mexico legally. But they came back illegally, and police say there is now zero tolerance:

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"When it comes to persons entering the country illegally there is absolutely no room for negotiation where they are concern. As far as I see it when they do that they put our entire country at risk. Now going back to the video I spoke about I observed on social media people querying, 'but we saw 4, but only 2 get arrested.' Yes, 4 persons came, but 2 were minors and 2 were adults; the 2 adults are the parents of the minors. We can't charge the minor if the parents are bringing them, because they are following their parents and so only the 2 parents were charged. Now, the law is clear, there is absolutely no room for discretion where Ministry of Health is concerned in terms of ensuring that these people go into mandatory quarantine. And so the parents are still in police custody, they will be going to court today. By virtue of the law, if they were to plead guilty, they'd be sentence to 3 months imprisonment, but can they go directly to prison? The answer is no. So even before they go to prison they would have to undergo the 21 days quarantine starting from the day when they were found and if after the 21 days they do not develop symptoms or test positive, then they can go to prison. In terms of the 2 children now, they were placed in mandatory quarantine for the 21 days. So if it is that their parents should plead not guilty and the court were to grant them bail they will not go home. They should go directly into mandatory quarantine at their expense and this is something that we must be extremely harsh with so that the message can be sent to people "do not enter this country illegally.""

Of course, this is a problem along the 32 miles of the Rio Hondo between Belize and Mexico - where crossing over is a cultural reflex:

Reporter
"Do you all need a consorted organize law enforcement blockade of that river to effectively stop this constant cross border movement that is a cultural habit and practice of people who live in those communities?"

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"May I say that we have really stepped up our patrols in those areas? The BDF have 4 boats in the river patrolling, apart from that we have 2 mobile patrols in the Botes, Santa Cruz areas that is also patrolling with a view to ensure that we deter or capture those persons who come into the country illegally and I can tell you we have been capturing a few. We had the guy who we captured a week or so ago. He and charged and was given bail and he should be in mandatory quarantine, but again there is a lot that we are doing with a view to deter these cross border activities."