WILLEMSTAD (DA) — The prosecutor’s office on Curaçao said ex-MLB player Jonathan Schoop will appear before a judge on Friday, Feb. 6, after being detained since Jan. 29 as part of an investigation into alleged illegal firearms possession. The hearing is expected to determine whether Schoop and the other suspects must remain in custody or can go home while the case proceeds.
Curaçao police searched Schoop’s home on Jan. 29 during a large operation that began late Wednesday night into early Thursday, when police conducted a search of the suspects at a food truck and later continued at the home of Schoop.
Since the arrests, authorities have released limited information about the investigation, and there has still been no indication of what role, if any, Schoop has in the case.
Schoop has been expected to be in contention for the Netherlands’ Kingdom Team roster for the World Baseball Classic in March. The selection is scheduled to be announced late Thursday night, but Schoop’s participation now appears unlikely because of his detention. The team is set to play in Group D with Venezuela, Nicaragua, Israel and the Dominican Republic.
The Dutch baseball federation declined to comment on Schoop’s situation. Schoop has played in major tournaments for the Netherlands, including on a world title-winning team in 2011, and he was part of the squad that won the European Championship in Rotterdam in September 2025.