“Gang Arrested” and A Stolen $1.5mm Catamaran Recovered on Ambergris Caye, Belize

Yesterday, scrolling through social media, I came upon an intriguing story with this title: “Blake Gang Arrested, Small-Town Belize Cop Recovers Stolen $1.5 Million Cat: Alleged ‘Tifosi’ Thieves Caught Shoplifting at Ambergris Caye”

ummmm…WHAT?

In short, the author Peter Swanson writes: 3 Texans stole a $1.5mil catamaran from Ft Lauderdale. One is a father who took his child (without the mother’s permission aka kidnapping). 2 dogs. They sail to the Bahamas, Grenada, Isla Mujeres, they change the name of the boat twice (though they don’t disable the ping-location device), they are all wanted for this crime.

Weeks later, they are caught on video shoplifting at Island Supermarket in San Pedro, Belize.

They have moored the cat off-shore but even that wasn’t done correctly.

As the shoplifters were being booked, the crew at Elite Adventures of Ambergris Caye were headed back from a tour and saw the $1.5mm catamaran adrift…and headed towards the barrier reef with only 2 dogs on-board!

Elite Adventures finds and tows the stolen boat
The crew at Elite Adventures towing the catamaran to a secure dock

The tour guides towed the expensive boat back to their dock and called the local police corporal, the Belize Customs department AND BAHA. (BAHA is the department in charge of the importation of dogs to the country)

Hopefully they are properly paid the $20,000US reward that was out for this boat. A great day at sea!

And so it all came together…the shoplifters are soon IDed as the kidnappers, boat thieves, folks wanted in the USA…and are now awaiting extradition. The boat is docked at Amigos Del Mar Dive Shop in San Pedro.

Amgios Del Mar Dive Shop
Yesterday at Amigos Del Mar Dive Shop in downtown San Pedro

I want to see that boat!! I am in constant awe around the price of boats. Ask me to estimate the price of any boat – big or small – and I will generally guess about 10% of what it would actually sell for. I. just. don’t. get. it.

The gas station
Gas station in San Pedro

Yesterday we headed to town to check out a $1.5mil USD catamaran. All the while I was considering how idiotic that this whole caper ended with shoplifting at a San Pedro supermarket. Duh.

Middle Street San Pedro
Middle Street in San Pedro

Here are the photos of the boat. It is very nice and big! 61 feet long.

But $1.5million? No freaking way. But nice.

Stolen boat - Aries
Tifosi to Drip to Aries
Tifosi boat was renamed Drip to Aries during this caper

I imagine she will be held here for a while as all of this gets worked out at the police station, the US embassy, and the courts in the US. Ready for the sail back to Ft Lauderdale.

Interesting right? On another note, I collected two more fun/funny boat names yesterday…

Culorico boat name
Rich Ass? Huh…

And…

Sexy Shark Boat name

I hope you are having a great weekend and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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15 Comments

  1. Pat Wagner on October 29th, 2023 at 10:33 am

    Wow! Good work done by your police officer.



  2. Pat Mallahan on October 29th, 2023 at 11:25 am

    Speaking of leaving with your kid without permission…A friend of mine defend a guy from Bainbridge Island, WA who was gone to Mexico with his kid for 5 years and returned to face the music. I guess the mother was something else. Well my buddy in has last closing line said to the jury ” Which of you would leave your dogs with this woman for the weekend ?” The accused was found not guilty and was given full custody. I advise anyone from taking your child w/o permission, this is quite a rare outcome. I just liked the dogs part.



  3. David Martin on October 29th, 2023 at 4:30 pm

    LOL – those inept hooligans remind me of “The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight”.
    [the book was laugh out loud good but the movie was rather lame – even with Robert De Niro]



  4. Barbara on October 29th, 2023 at 5:11 pm

    Where are the dogs? Are they safe?



    • David Martin on October 30th, 2023 at 6:54 pm

      The dogs will be fine. After quarantine Rebecca will adopt them! lol…



      • San Pedro Scoop on October 31st, 2023 at 8:20 am

        They are probably at SAGA and NO MORE DOGS! Though we saw the skinniest puppies up north yesterday…WAH!



  5. April Hy on October 29th, 2023 at 9:06 pm

    And the kid?!



  6. SPmQQseBZ on October 29th, 2023 at 10:24 pm

    hahahahaha here we go again…..foreigner criminals… hiding in belize.



    • San Pedro Scoop on October 31st, 2023 at 8:22 am

      Those “good ole days” are mostly over I think. I’m not sure where you can hide with a 60 foot long boat and a baby anymore.



  7. Jane on October 30th, 2023 at 6:41 am

    Haha! That’s funny. Talking of funny boat names, I spotted a small skiff moored in Placencia the other day called “The Black Pearl.” Haha – hardly.



    • San Pedro Scoop on October 31st, 2023 at 8:20 am

      You just sent me to the Urban Dictionary for that term…and now I’ve seen things I can not unsee!



  8. Lawrence Duty on October 30th, 2023 at 8:55 am

    I was always shocked about new boat prices until I started watching a couple youtube sailing channels, both which show their boats being built in the asian region and the builders talking about the 1,000’s of hours it takes to construct these boats, on average it takes like 2 years to complete a single boat, with 100’s of employees working. Two channels I watch amongst others Gone with Wynns, and Sailing La Vagabonde



    • T. W. Day on October 30th, 2023 at 9:06 pm

      What a great write up and a very interesting story. And yes bost prices are insane.
      Thank you.



    • Brian on October 30th, 2023 at 10:02 pm

      No Sailing Doodles? 😁



    • San Pedro Scoop on October 31st, 2023 at 8:19 am

      I love the name Gone with the Wynns…they are made to write about traveling/sailing! And again…1000s of hours…I had no idea!