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News from the Caribbean as of
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Sports agent accused of smuggling Cuban ball players
Thursday, November 2, 2006
LOS ANGELES, USA (AFP): An American sports agent was indicted by the federal government on Tuesday in a scheme that allegedly involved smuggling elite Cuban baseball players to America.
Gus Dominguez, of Los Angeles-based Total Sports International, was indicted along with four others with organizing and financing the smuggling ring.
Geoffrey Rodrigues, Robert Yosvany Hernandez, Ramon Batista, and Guillermo Valdez were charged along with Dominguez.
The indictment charges all five defendants with a conspiracy to bring aliens illegally into the United States, transporting the aliens in violation of law, and concealling and harbouring the aliens from detection.
Law enforcement officials accuse Total Sports of sneaking several baseball players off the communist island in August 2004. Some of the players are playing for minor league clubs.
Federal prosecutors allege Dominguez and the others used speed boats to transport the players and civilians to Florida.
Upon arriving in the United States the ball players were taken to California.
"Though this case involves a Beverly Hills sports agent and talented baseball players, it is remarkably similar to the human smuggling operations ICE encounters every day," US Immigration and Customs spokesperson, Julie Meyers, said.
"The ringleaders put the lives of illegal immigrants at risk and sought to profit from their labor."
The charges of illegal immigrant smuggling, transporting illegal immigrants, harbouring and concealling each carry up to 10 years in prison.
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