WILLEMSTAD – The Court of First Instance has acquitted Javier P., better known as "Beertje," of involvement in the deadly migrant boat tragedy that claimed the lives of 14 Venezuelan migrants in March 2025, ruling that there was insufficient evidence to prove he was part of the human smuggling operation behind the ill-fated voyage.
The Public Prosecution Service had sought a six-year prison sentence, arguing that Javier P. had maintained contact with organizers of the crossing and relatives of the migrants and had played a role in organizing the trip.
The case centered on a boat that departed Venezuela for Curaçao on March 4, 2025, carrying 24 undocumented migrants. Fourteen people died during the crossing after the vessel encountered trouble before reaching the island.
According to the court, the evidence established only that Javier P. knew the boat was expected to arrive in Curaçao because he had received information about the voyage by telephone. However, the vessel never reached the island, and the tragedy occurred in international waters.
The judges concluded that this evidence was insufficient to convict him of human smuggling resulting in death or of participating in a criminal organization.
While acquitting him of the migrant smuggling charges, the court did convict Javier P. on two separate drug-related offenses.
The court found that on March 29, 2025, he arranged for an individual to travel to Brussels carrying 485 grams of cocaine packaged in 33 pellets. Based on telephone records, the judges concluded that Javier P. paid for the airline ticket, knew the courier was transporting cocaine internally and had arranged for someone to receive him upon arrival in Belgium.
He was also convicted in connection with a cannabis cultivation operation discovered on September 19, 2025. Police found 117 cannabis plants and approximately 60 grams of marijuana. Although Javier P. claimed the plants were for personal use, the court cited the presence of a weighing scale and other cultivation materials as evidence that contradicted his explanation.
For the cocaine smuggling and cannabis cultivation offenses, the court sentenced Javier P. to 18 months in prison, part of which was suspended.
His partner, identified in court documents as G.M., was acquitted of complicity in the cocaine smuggling case. However, she was convicted in relation to the cannabis plantation and sentenced to five months in prison, with four months suspended.