Baseball and the Dominican Republic have enjoyed a long, successful relationship, but occasionally there has been a dark side to it, too. That was the case this week as authorities reportedly arrested former big leaguers Octavio Dotel and Luis Castillo in connection with a drug trafficking investigation.
Dotel and Castillo allegedly worked for drug lord Cesar Emilio Peralta, known as “Cesar the Abuser,” who might have used the big leaguers to launder his drug money.
The players were two of more than a dozen arrested Tuesday and are currently in custody.
Ex-Mets Octavio Dotel, Luis Castillo arrested as part of drug trafficking network https://t.co/1zdjWyHWSe pic.twitter.com/uJP7yQSb2l
— New York Post (@nypost) August 20, 2019
An expansive operation
According to the Dominican newspaper Diario Libre, Dominican officials raided several dozen of Peralta’s properties in one of the country’s biggest drug raids.
The properties included nightclubs, restaurants, shopping malls and apartment buildings. Authorities said they are still seeking four more suspects who might be in the U.S. Additionally, Peralta himself remains on the loose.
But Dotel and Castillo aren’t. The major leaguers, each of whom made millions of dollars in his career, seem logical places to send money because they were wealthy already. No one would question where they came up with the money — at least not until now.
#BreakingNews Former MLB players P Octavio Dotel and IF Luis Castillo arrested for being involved in drug trafficking in Dominican Republic. pic.twitter.com/kmQnXtD2RB
— Antonio Puesán (@antoniopuesan) August 20, 2019
The D.R. pipeline
Dotel played for 13 teams during a 15-year career that spanned 1999-2013. He was 59-50 with a 3.78 ERA and 109 saves. He made 34 starts among 758 career appearances.
Castillo (not to be confused with current Reds starter Luis Castillo) was an infielder who played 15 seasons from 1996-2010 with three teams. In 10 years in Miami, he made three All-Star teams and won the World Series in 1997 and 2003. He had a career average of .290 with 370 stolen bases.
The Dominican Republic, of course, is the largest source of foreign-born players in Major League Baseball. There were 145 of them during the 2018 season.
But between a gunman shooting David Ortiz in a Dominican nightclub in June and this incident, there are problems. It’s clear that being an MLB player there is a status symbol but not a guarantee of a safe and happy life.
Octavio Dotel and Luis Castillo are allegedly linked to the trafficking case that involves the attempted murder of David Ortiz. Phew. https://t.co/fhZ5tFmU4L
— Paul DeBenedetto (@pauldebenedetto) August 20, 2019
