WILLEMSTAD – The recent arrest of Raily Bart in Curaçao has once again exposed the persistent ties between the infamous Curaçao-based gang No Limit Soldiers (NLS) and the Dutch criminal underworld. Bart, 39, is suspected of playing a coordinating role in the murder of Dutch crime journalist Peter R. de Vries—despite being incarcerated at the time. His arrest underscores the enduring power and reach of the gang, which has been linked to numerous murders, drug trafficking operations, and contract killings across the Netherlands and the Caribbean.
Bart is already serving a 20-year sentence for his involvement in a double assassination at Hato Airport in 2014. He reportedly drove one of the getaway cars used by NLS members to ambush and kill rivals from the Buena Vista City gang. That incident was part of a violent gang war triggered by a missing cocaine shipment, which left at least fifteen people dead.
The No Limit Soldiers, originally formed in the Koraal Specht neighborhood of Willemstad, are considered one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the Dutch Caribbean. Law enforcement officials describe the group as a sophisticated criminal network with international operations, particularly in the cocaine trade. The gang has infiltrated airport systems through bribery, establishing smuggling routes between the Caribbean, South America, and the Netherlands. NLS members are frequently dispatched to the Netherlands to carry out acts of violence on behalf of the organization.
The gang has been linked to the 2013 assassination of Curaçaoan politician Helmin Wiels. The shooter, Elvis "Monster" Kuwas, a prominent NLS member, was also connected to several other contract killings. In the Netherlands, NLS has surfaced in major criminal cases, including the Eris trial, where connections were uncovered between NLS and Ridouan Taghi’s criminal organization. The gang also played a key role in the Athena case, which focused on drug smuggling operations via Bonaire and Schiphol Airport.
NLS's influence reportedly extends even into the maximum-security prison in Vught, where one of its members allegedly had contact with Willem Holleeder and was implicated in a now-disputed plot to target Holleeder’s sisters.
The latest allegations against Bart serve as a stark reminder that the No Limit Soldiers remain a potent force in organized crime. Despite significant setbacks in recent years, Dutch prosecutors believe the gang still has the capacity to orchestrate violence—even from behind bars.