Belize Plane Hijacking Spurs Security Review

Akinyela Sawa Taylor, a 49-year-old U.S. citizen reportedly a former assistant football coach from St. Louis and possibly a military veteran, hijacked a Tropic Air flight in Belize from Corozal to San Pedro, stabbing three people including the pilot. The plane, carrying 14 passengers and two crew members, was forced to circle for nearly two hours before safely landing in Ladyville as police tracked it by helicopter. Taylor, who demanded to be flown out of Belize, was shot in the chest by a passenger he had wounded and later died at the hospital. One of the injured remains in critical condition, while all passengers have been accounted for and hospitalized. Authorities are investigating how Taylor smuggled a knife on board and entered Belize after previously being denied entry. The incident has prompted renewed scrutiny of airport and airline security procedures in the region.