Agentless Backup is Not a Myth

Reports of John McAfee arrest on the Mexico-Belize border have turned out to be a false positive.

The eccentric tech millionaire, named by Belize police as "person of interest" in the murder of his neighbour Gregory Faull three weeks ago, was reported to have been arrested by his own The Hinterland blog on Saturday. The same source explained on Monday that this was a ruse that allowed McAfee to slip over the border with his 20 year-old girlfriend and two journalists from Vice, a lifestyle magazine.

I apologise for the silence, and misdirection. I am currently safe and in the company of two intrepid journalist from Vice Magazine, and, of course, Sam.

We are not in Belize, but not quite out of the woods yet. I will do a more detailed posting later today if all goes well.

My "double", carrying on a North Korean passport under my name, was in fact detained in Mexico for pre-planned misbehavior, but due to indifference on the part of authorities was evicted from the jail and was unable to serve his intended purpose in our exit plan. He is now safely out of Mexico.

We are are well, but extremely tired. Vice Magazine, later today will do a posting, with video.

I left Belize because of a series of events which led both Sam and I to believe that she was in danger of capture. She has been my go-between and my eyes and ears in the outside world. I decided to make the move. I will be returning to Belize after I have place Sam in a safe position. My fight is in Belize, and I can do little in exile. My lifeline of information pertaining to the inner workings of the government depends on my physical presence.

Belize is bordered to the north by Mexico, to the south and west by Guatemala, and to the east by the Caribbean Sea. McAfee doesn't say which country he's in.

McAfee concludes by criticising the police in Belize for arresting his friends and neighbours and the mainstream media for going to "extraordinary lengths" in portraying him as a "drug crazed madman".

Among other recent posts, the anti-virus pioneer claimed that his extensive postings on an underground internet forum about MDPV (bath salts) – a designer drug touted as a stimulant with sexual arousal effects whose side-effects include paranoia and psychotic delusions – were just an elaborate joke.

Vice magazine's most recent article about McAfee delved deep into his alleged fondness for bath salts, so it will be interesting to see what comes of its latest collaboration with the anti-virus pioneer.

Police say that McAfee is not a suspect in Faull's murder, and they only want to interview him as a material witness. McAfee said he doesn't trust the authorities, who he alleges poisoned his dogs and are bent on killing him. McAfee has criticised police in Belize for the "systematic roundup of my friends and associates" since Faull's homicide.

Relations between McAfee and local authorities have been strained since officers from the Gang Suppression Unit raided his property in late April. The raid came as part of an investigation into unlicensed drug manufacturing and possession of an unlicensed weapon, but no charges were ever brought. McAfee now maintains that the raid followed his refusal to pay a bribe to a local politician.

McAfee has offered $25,000 as a reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for Faull's murder. While on the run from police, he has started a blog and begun his own investigation, often while concealed in various disguises, which in one case involved blacking up using shoe polish and sticking a tampon up his nose to impersonate a Guatemalan beach trinket seller.

Belize's prime minister, Dean Barrow, has described McAfee as "bonkers" and urged him to come forward to aid police with their investigation. ®

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