Our next few stories are going to be about contraband, and the concerted state effort to put an end to this everyday practice that has - it seems - been forged into the DNA of nortenos.
And yesterday evening, the police went after 23 Canoes or "Cayucos" as they are called in the north.
These are the flat bottomed dories that cross the Rio Hondo from Santa Cruz to Botes for a dollar.
When they were seized yesterday and paraded through the town for storage, it's like the north did a collective "Ah ve!". It was like a carnival, but of canoes and here's what it looked like:
Like the Gondolas of Venice, the Cayucos of the Rio Hondo are a mainstay for both transportation and livelihood.
That's why the confiscation of 23 of them last night sent shockwaves through the north. And, in what may be the only trailers to take to Orange Walk's street this Carnival season the cops hauled them all into the Orange Walk Police station.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Just today again, the police in that area, the border operations, that is in San Victor, Santa Cruz, Douglas, that all of those little canoes that we see along the river side, we are going to take possession of those canoes, remove them from the area and we see how that is going to play out. If it is that they don't have the canoe, they will not be able to make no mischief and whenever the police goes to these areas and find any canoes or any boat in those area, we are going to confiscate them until we can be able to ensure we get a grip of this situation. The thing is that, the canoe is what they use to enable their activities, if it is that we take away the canoes from the same people them, the activities become less. So, we're hoping that is going to workout for us."
It's a tough blow to the contrabandistas whose very way of life has been completely derailed by the danger their activities now pose to the health of the nation.
And last night citizens of Sugar City could only stop, stare, and perhaps nod approvingly at this strange sight that they never thought they'd see.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I want to sound the warning that this issue with border jumping and contrabanding is one that we must take seriously and there is absolutely no room for negotiation, there is absolutely no room for complacency, we have to go after these people with a vigour and make them understand that we are dead serious and we are bringing an end to the activities."
And while this officer had an unfortunate stumble....the operation did not and the canoes remain in custody.
There's no word on what, if any charges will be brought against the presumed owners.
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