April 16, 2007

Sports agent found guilty of alien smuggling

MIAMI - R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Anthony V. Mangione, acting special agent in charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Rear Admiral David W. Kunkel, Commander 7th Coast Guard District, John Beutlich, Director, Office of Air and Marine Operations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that on April 12, 2007, a federal jury in Key West, Florida convicted defendant Gustavo Dominguez on 21 counts, including conspiracy to commit alien smuggling for profit, alien smuggling for profit, bringing aliens to the United States, transporting and harboring aliens for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, and Title 8, United States Code, Sections 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii), 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii), and 1324(a)(1)(A)(iii). The defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years' imprisonment as to each substantive count.

Defendant Gustavo Dominguez is the first sports agent to be charged and convicted of alien smuggling. According to the evidence presented at trial, Dominguez organized two smuggling trips by hiring individuals to pick up baseball players in Cuba using go-fast boats. The government established that Dominguez paid for the smuggling of five Cuban baseball players into the United States for the purpose of profiting by subsequently representing them as their sports agent. The first trip in July 2004 failed when the United States Coast Guard interdicted the boat on its way to the United States. However, a second smuggling trip in Aug. 2004 was successful.

Dominguez arranged to have the baseball players transported from South Florida to California. Dominguez also arranged to have the players housed and trained knowing that the players were illegally in the country. Among the prosecution witnesses at trial were Henry Blanco, catcher for the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies General Manager Pat Gillick, and former major league pitcher Ariel Pietro. In addition, the jury heard the testimony of Ysbel Medina, the person who handled the details of the alien smuggling trip for Dominguez. Medina, a convicted drug trafficker, testified that Dominguez wired approximately $225,0000 for the ventures.

Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Air and Marine Operations. In addition, Acosta thanked Major League Baseball officials for their cooperation during this prosecution. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin Daniel and Marcus Christian are prosecuting the criminal case.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

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