A Los Angeles-based sports agent has been charged by U.S. federal authorities with smuggling Cuban baseball players into the United States.
Gustavo "Gus" Dominguez and four other defendants were indicted Tuesday in a federal court in (the southern U.S. state of) Florida. They are charged with conspiracy to bring aliens illegally into the U.S., transporting them in violation of the law, and concealing and harboring them from detection.
The five men allegedly tried to smuggle Cuban ballplayers into the U.S. in July 2004 aboard a boat that was intercepted by authorities at sea. Prosecutors say they successfully smuggled 19 Cubans into Florida a month later, and eventually transported them to California.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.