Convicted criminal Joseph Budna kidnapped by cops in Belize? Opposition demands answers 

Belize: Opposition Leader Tracy Taegar Panton has turned up the heat on Prime Minister John Briceño and is demanding the permanent removal of Commissioner of Police Dr. Richard Rosado and the full release of all reports as well as evidence linked to the abduction of Joseph Budna.

This comes after surveillance footage published by local media appears to show Budna being forced into a vehicle by men identified as police officers. This alleged kidnapping took place on August 22, 2025, outside the Orange Walk Police Station.

It is being alleged by the Opposition that instead of formal extradition, Budna was allegedly transferred across the Belize–Guatemala border at Arenal, then taken into Guatemalan custody, bypassing established legal channels.

Reports say Budna was then taken to the Arenal border and handed over to Guatemalan authorities. In another video going viral online, Budna is seen in Guatemalan custody and he showed injuries on camera and claimed that he was beaten by Belizean officers.

In an official letter dated September 8, 2025, she accused the current administration of failing the test of transparency and further called for immediate action. The letter asked for unredacted police reports as well as operational logs to be released immediately, all CCTV and bodycam footage from Budna’s detention as well as transfer to be revealed, creation on an independent investigation panel as well as a preservation order to stop any destruction of GPS data, communications or documents.

Calling the issue one that strikes at the “core of constitutional guarantees and Belize’s reputation on the international stage,” Panton insisted that the Government must prove no one in law enforcement is above the law. “The rule of law demands nothing less,” she declared.

Her letter piles fresh political pressure on the Briceño administration, as public scepticism grows over whether the Government can credibly handle an investigation that points directly at the top ranks of the Police Department.

Who is Joseph Budna?

Budna was convicted in Belize for an aggravated sexual offense involving a 14-year-old boy in 2000. He was imprisoned in Belize Central Prison. In 2012–2014, Guatemalan authorities linked him to kidnappings, including three teens allegedly held in Honduras, and weapons trafficking. He received a 25-year sentence in 2013 and a 30-year sentence in 2014.

In 2019, while being served in Guatemala, he escaped from custody (first from a hospital in San Benito) and fled into Belize. After his escape, Budna became known as a controversial social media figure. He faced new charges, including cyberbullying and was connected to a 2021 stabbing case that resulted in a murder charge.

In 2023, he was detained after a shooting incident at a farm where a teenage boy was found dead, he was later released pending investigation.