The Belize Defence Force and the Belize National Coast Guard today received a one – point – two million Belize dollar donation from the U.S. government. For the Coast Guard, it means six much needed new outboard engines to replace the ones that have been running for the past 4 years. U.S. Ambassador Robert Dieter explained

Robert Dieter, US Ambasador
“We’ve been instrumental in helping to establish the Coast Guard over the last few years and today we’re providing them with I think six 250 horsepower motors and several 150 horsepower motors to beef up their capability with their boats etc.”

Admiral Cedric Borland, Coast Guard Commander
“These engines are actually going to replace some of the aging engines we have that we are presently using. Much of our efforts actually are along the lines of not only drug trafficking but illegal fishing at sea and safety; we put a lot of emphasis on safety. Over the past two years we have saved many lives at sea so while the US is supporting us with these equipment, we are sure that, they are assured and the government of Belize is assured that these equipment that we are receiving are actually for the benefit of our people.”

Brig. Gen. Dario Tapia, Commander – BDF
“This is about the third donation we have received for the Engineering Company which includes tents, tools, tough book laptops for when they are operating in the field, so that we have now equipped the Light Engineer Company so that they can be deployed to conduct light engineering tasks and when I mean light engineering tasks, I am talking about tasks to do house renovations, house construction, not major house construction as yet but just light house construction and that is in essence what the light engineering company will be able to do.”

And while the BDF Engineering company will be building houses, The Coast Guard will establish bases on Calabash, Hunting and Ambergris Cayes with a plan for a headquarters near Old Belize in the City.