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Like a White Lotus episode tragically come to life, three American women were found dead in their room at a luxury resort in Belize in late February this year. At this writing, investigators had not yet determined how they died. There were no signs of forced entry, and authorities suspect the friends died of a drug overdose.
Even still, social media response suggests there’s more to the story. The three women who died at the exclusive Royal Kahal Beach Resort, located in San Pedro Town, Belize, were Kaoutar Naqqad, Imane Mallah, and Wafae El-Arar, all in their twenties. And while signs point to a drug overdose, their official causes of death will likely be confirmed once autopsies are complete. But for now, some 7 News Belize social media comments suggest controversy.
For example, a woman from Reverse, MA, where the three women were from, and who claims to know one of the women who died, wrote, “My poor friend, alongside her friends, are the victims of a heinous crime. This was not an overdose… Shame on all of those who assume so. Everyone in the U.S. knows this was NOT AN OD. HER FRIENDS KNOW! BRING THE EMBASSY IN AND GET U.S. OFFICIALS DOWN THERE!”
Meanwhile, another comment added in part, “One of them is a big part of my boyfriend’s family. There’s absolutely foul play. I don’t think [Belize] has a good enough investigation system, especially for tourists. I see this getting slipped under the rug. But we need answers! This is absolutely devastating.”
The three women were expected to leave the country the next day
Reportedly, the trio checked in on Feb. 19 and were discovered dead in the resort’s Bird of Paradise Suite five days later, when hotel security cameras showed them entering the room the previous evening and never coming out. Hotel staff checked the room and found all three women dead, with “froth” around their mouths but no signs of injury. According to 7 News Belize, snacks, gummies, drinks, vapes, and other personal electronic items were also discovered.
Early on, the case seemed similar to a July 2024 incident when six Vietnamese nationals were mysteriously found dead in a room at a Thailand hotel with signs of cyanide poisoning. According to The New York Times, that case turned out to be a murder-suicide over a potential investment fraud.
With froth around their mouths and no signs of foul play, injury, or forced entry, Belize police suspect the three female tourists who died in Belize could have died of drug overdoses, though that has not yet been confirmed. All three women seemed to have vomited before their deaths, and the gummies, in particular, will be tested to determine their content.
“The police did a thorough search of the scene, along with the pathologists,” Commissioner of Police Chester Williams said at a press conference, according to Channel 5 Belize. “There was nothing of substance that could have been found other than alcohol and some gummies. We’re not saying at this time that the gummies cause death, but we’re looking at every possibility,” Williams added.