The cop coordinating the response on the ground was commander of operations ACP Marco Vidal. The former GSU creator and commander is known for his hard nosed approach, and he gave an outline of what was done in the city - and to those gangsters who fled the city to escape the police dragnet:
ACP Marco Vidal, Commander OPS
"This morning between 3a.m. and 11a.m. we launched the operation that was mentioned earlier by the commissioner targeting ten gangs in the south side of Belize City. The primary focus, however, was two sections or two gangs; the Ghost Town gang and the South Side Gang and its immediate affiliates. So we utilized just over three hundred officers, that's a combined B.D.F. and police team, that operation included the cordoning of the zones by both B.D.F. and the police and then we utilized our strike teams which are the specialized units. The Gang Suppression Unit, the Special Patrol Unit, the Anti-gang Taskforce, Special Branch and the Mobile Interdiction Team and they were accompanied by the SOTIF in regards to conducting searches of the premises of these individuals and detain these individuals who we have detention orders for this state of emergency. At the conclusion of the operation, we had 99 gang elements detained and as we speak they are currently being interviewed by the anti-gang task force as well as the criminal investigation branch. The state of emergency as stated in the regulation is for 30 days and it can be extended further, so there are some who sought to flee the area, but we had vehicle checkpoints in the districts and that allow for us to apprehend 3 this morning in the Belmopan area. During the operation, we also had several drug seizures as well as one firearm, which is an AK-47 and some ammunition. Those persons who had fled we know where some of them are, so we will be going after them and they will also be brought in and dealt with thereafter."
Vidal says he expects to be making more arrests of alleged gangsters outside the city.
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