Belize City Woman Fined After Guilty Plea in Crack Cocaine Possession Case

A fifty-nine-year-old Belize City woman has avoided jail time after pleading guilty to drug possession, instead being fined by the court.  Lydia Clara Castillo, a domestic of Hyde Street, appeared unrepresented before a Senior Magistrate in Court Three, where she was charged with possession of controlled drugs with intent to supply, involving 1.9 grams of crack cocaine. However, Castillo pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking but guilty to the lesser offence of simple possession, which was accepted by the prosecution.  For her guilty plea, Castillo was fined two hundred eighty-five dollars, inclusive of court costs, and given until the end of June 2026 to pay. In default, she will serve two months in prison.  According to police, the incident occurred on Saturday, April eleventh, during an operation in the Lake Independence area. Officers visited Castillo’s residence on Hyde Street in search of illegal firearms and ammunition.  Police say that during the operation, one officer observed Castillo at the back of the house throwing several small silver-wrapped objects through a door. The items reportedly landed on the ground near the officer’s feet.  Authorities say nine of those objects were recovered and inspected, revealing a white substance suspected to be crack cocaine. Castillo was immediately detained, and a further search of the home did not yield any additional contraband.