Close Gallery
Oakland Athletics' Yoenis Cespedes.
Zoom Picture

Santo Domingo.– Edgar Mercedes, the baseball trainer who helped represent Yoenis Cespedes, has been arrested on human smuggling charges for allegedly helping Cuban players illegally enter the Dominican Republic.

According to the police, Mercedes is one of six men detained in the case. The three Dominicans and three Cubans transported potential players from Cuba in hopes of gaining major league contracts, the police statement said.

Mercedes' attorney Guillermo Estrella said the trainer is not involved with human smuggling or the other detained men. All six were released Friday while authorities are still investigating.

Cespedes, 26, received a four-year, US$36 million deal in February with the Oakland Athletics.

Share / Recommend this article: FacebookFacebook Digg thisDigg this del.icio.usdel.icio.us TechnoratiTechnorati YahooYahoo Facebook
COMMENTS
4 comment(s)
Written by: riosm, 2 Jun 2012 3:11 PM
From: United States
I bet for a BETTER life then in Cuba.
Written by: RoyStone, 3 Jun 2012 10:49 AM
From: Australia
What fine, upstanding role-models these baseball stars are!
Written by: Rainman, 4 Jun 2012 11:07 AM
From: United States
These are the "new men" created by the Revolution, with all the privileges they still risk their lives for a better future
Written by: venganzaderafael, 9 Jun 2012 2:46 AM
From: United States
Rainman, its not just a better future, if as successful in their en devours as Cespedes, you're talking a hell of a better future. The hell with the revolution. I just have one question for the prosecutors that brought up these charges against Mr. Mercedes.

You couldn't find some haitian- dominican connection smuggling haitians across the border to bust?!! You had to go after someone who has brought someone with a positive impact to both the economy
(I'm sure he got a cut of those 4 mill) and the country's image as a destination for international players to get contracted by MLB. Not on the same scale but that's like the attorney general of the US in the 1930's arresting the people who smuggled Albert Einstein out of Germany and into the US.

The resources and time spent could have been dedicated to a true threat to our quality of life in DR: the illegal and continuous smuggling of haitians for nefarious purposes. Barsa de lambones.
Post Your Comment | Not a member? Create your account | Lost your password?
Write your opinion here. Please keep your comment relevant to this article. Please note that any comments which contain offensive language or discriminatory expressions may be edited/removed.
You must log in to post a comment:
Username Password