Local News

For the past couple of days, Love News has been reporting on the blacklisting of three Belizeans and their business holdings by the United States government for their alleged involvement with Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel.  Using its Kingpin Act, the United States Treasury is accusing John Zabaneh, his nephew Dion and businessman Daniel Moreno of being key associates of Mexico’s high profile trafficker Joaquin Guzman.  When the US government agency announced that it had targeted the trio, an official statement also noted that the Obama administration had also frozen the US assets of the three men as well as those of five of their companies including a banana farm, grocery store and marina.  On Wednesday, John Zabaneh, through his unnamed attorneys, issued a statement claiming that the actions of the US Treasury were unfounded, wild and unsubstantiated.  In his press release, Zabaneh says that all the accusations of wrongdoings by the US Treasury Department against himself and his companies are, quote, false and defamatory, unquote.  Zabaneh goes on to explain that he has no association with Chapo Guzman, that he has never met r hear of Daniel Moreno now has he seen or spoken with his nephew Dion Zabaneh in years. The Zabaneh statement concludes by saying that the businesses blacklisted by the US Treasury Department, together employs over seven hundred and fifty workers and is responsible for the generation of over fifteen million US dollars to the Belize economy through exports annually. Zabaneh is concerned that the US treasury Department move will adversely affect his business operations in Belize; but if confident that in time, he and his companies will be fully exonerated.  The companies blacklisted on Tuesday are Mayan King, Mid-South Investments, Crown Paradise Enterprises, Belize Chemicals and D's Supermarket Company.