Man charged for public drinking to be deported over immigration status

Published by BBNTEAM at September 14, 2022

Posted: Wednesday, September 14, 2022. 8:07 pm CST.

By Breaking Belize News Staff: A Guatemalan national who was originally arrested for a charge of public drinking is now facing deportation.

Thirty-year-old Óseas Campos Santiago appeared in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court answering to a charge of failure to comply with the conditions of his visitors permit.

He wasted no time and pleaded guilty and was fined $1,000 plus $5.00 cost of court. The Senior Magistrate said that since he is not a Belizean and has no ties to the country, he needed to pay the fine immediately.

The allegation against Santiago is that on Tuesday, September 13, he was drinking in public on the south side of Belize City when police picked him up.

When they inquired about his immigration status he could not readily provide them with the information. Officers got in touch with the immigration and nationality department and found out that he had been granted a visitor permit on March 2, 2020, to remain in Belize until June 27, 2021, and he failed to get an extension.

On Tuesday, Santiago appeared in Court #5 where he pleaded guilty to public drinking and was separately fined $25 plus $5.00 cost of court which he paid immediately.

Arrangements are being made for him to be deported back to Guatemala.

Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Belize ~ We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages. Your content is delivered instantly to thousands of users in Belize and abroad! Contact us at mаrkеtіng@brеаkіngbеlіzеnеwѕ.соm or call us at 501-612-0315.