Belize survives frightening encounter with Mexican cartels

A Belizean man says that he was able to survive what could have been a deadly encounter with the Mexican cartels. Emmanuel Sutherland wrote on Facebook on October 25 quote “Anyone travelling [through] Mexico from the US, be aware, cartels on the road jacking people. Thank God am okay. First time ever!” Unquote. Sutherland is a car dealer, who brings vehicles from the U.S. to Belize for sale frequently. He told us that his encounter happened in the municipality of Soto de la Marina, which is some 180 miles south of the U.S. city of Brownsville, Texas. The drive to the town is about three hours south of the U.S.-Mexico border. He also told us that when he reported to the police in the town they simple laughed at him and drove off. Soto de la Marina is in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, which the U.S. government has on a “Do Not Travel” list due to crime and kidnapping. Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa and Zacatecas states also appear on that U.S. State Department list issued as recently as October 5.