Three passengers were injured after an allegedly kidnapped a small plane in Knifepoint in Belize on Thursday, police said.
Akinyela Sawa Taylor, a American citizen, kidnapped a plane with 13 other passengers on board, authorities said.
Police received information, the plane was kidnapped by a passenger on board shortly before takeoff. Taylor wanted to be taken from the country and demanded more fuel for the plane, police said.
On this video of a video of a video, the officials in charge of enforcing the law run to the plane in Belize after an American citizen kidnapped a small plane, on April 17, 2025.
Belize Breaking News
The kidnapper received a deadly shot in the chest by a passenger who had a licensed firearm, police said.
The plane, which was circling and almost ran out of fuel when it landed, police said.
Three passengers, all of Belize, were injured with knife wounds. The flight had 14 passengers in total on board, including two Americans, police said.
On this video of a video of a video, the officials in charge of enforcing the law are shown in the scene in Belize after an American citizen kidnapped a small plane, on April 17, 2025.
James Maloney
The police were in contact with a passenger on the plane who was sending updates by text message, authorities said.
It is not yet clear how the kidnapper was able to get on the plane with a knife, police said.
The United States embassy has been contacted and will help the police with the investigation.
On this video of a video of a video, the officials in charge of enforcing the law run towards the scene in Belize after an American citizen kidnapped a small plane, on April 17, 2025.
James Maloney
The spokeswoman for the State Department, Tammy Bruce, said during a press conference on Thursday that he still did not have much to offer about kidnapping, but the agency was following the incident as it was developed.
“We are grateful, I think we are all, that it did not become an event of massive victims, I think that more than a dozen people on the plane,” Bruce said.
According to the police, the suspect was denied entry to the country during the weekend and officials are investigating how they could enter, according to the police.
Shannon K. Kingston of ABC News contributed to this report.
