The joint operation targeted all four borders of the island.

PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten Police Force KPSM, in coordination with multiple law enforcement partners, carried out a large-scale border control operation on Saturday, December 20, targeting all four borders of the island. The operation, which ran from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, involved close collaboration with Customs, the Immigration Service, the St. Maarten Volunteer Corps VKS, Marines, and the Gendarmerie.

To ensure public safety, a 250-metre safety exclusion zone around the fireworks launch barge will be established.

PHILIPSBURG--Port St. Maarten Group (PSG) has announced that preparations are underway for the annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display over Great Bay, set to take place at midnight on Wednesday, December 31, as part of the country’s celebrations welcoming 2026.

Police officers escorting Jean Joel Hodge (centre) out of the courthouse on Thursday morning after the Court of First Instance found him guilty of manslaughter.

PHILIPSBURG--A man was sentenced by the Court of First Instance on Thursday to twelve years in prison for a fatal stabbing in Dutch Quarter earlier this year.

MPs during the meeting.

PHILIPSBURG--Parliament on Thursday unanimously adopted the Declaration of the Parliamentary Alliance for Climate Action and a Just Transition, formally committing to regional and global parliamentary cooperation on climate action.

Chief Prosecutor Manon Ridderbeks

By Jacqueline Hooftman

PHILIPSBURG--After more than a decade away, criminal law expert Manon Ridderbeks has returned to St. Maarten – this time as Chief Prosecutor (Hoofdofficier van Justitie). Her appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the country’s justice system, which continues to face serious challenges related to violent crime, prison capacity, financial crime, and international scrutiny over human trafficking and money laundering.