The businessman who helped smuggle Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig out of Cuba is facing a month in prison.
Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig ended up signing a very rich MLB contract in 2013, but before that he was smuggled out of his native Cuba by a group of smugglers in 2012. One of those was businessman Gilberto Suarez, whose main role in the venture was to drive Puig from Mexico City to the Texas border in a taxi. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Robert Scola sentenced Suarez to one month in prison and five months house arrest. Scola was lenient on the recommended year maximum, because of Saurez’s part in protecting Puig and the other aliens from threats from the Zetas drug gang and corrupt Mexican police.
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The judge said he thought the safety of the smuggled group was paramount on Suarez’s mind. Defense attorney Bijan Parwaresch said that Suarez was initially only interested in helping Puig secure a baseball contract. Cuban players tend to try and establish residence in another country so they can get the richer free agent deals, rather than coming directly to the U.S. and going through the MLB draft process.
In other words, Suarez’s part in the venture did not start out as a criminal activity from the U.S. perspective. According to the attorney, where he went wrong was taking Puig to the border without immigration papers.
According to a story by ESPN, Puig went from Cuba by boat to a Mexican island near Cancun, then on to Mexico City, before being driven to the border by Suarez. Out of Puig’s seven year $42 million contract with the Dodgers, Suarez received $2.5 million. However, that money is apparently all gone and Suarez gave up a condo, a house and Benz to the U.S. government.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Davidson gave the opinion that it was important for Suarez to get some jail time. He said they wanted to send a message that the crime wouldn’t be rewarded.
No others have been arrested in connection to smuggling Puig and Suarez was also made to give up interest in the contract of Cardinals minor league shortstop Aldemys Diaz, another Cuban player.
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