Inside The Underbelly
Sports Illustrated
|October 8, 2018
A Department Of Justice Investigation Into Baseballs International Dealings Could Make For An Unpleasant Off Season
THE MIGRATION of Latin American talent to Major League Baseball—particularly players from Cuba—has long been an unseemly business, shrouded in don’t-ask-don’t-tell secrecy. These exodus stories often come suffused with tales of bribes, kickbacks, side deals with smugglers, dubious immigration documents and middlemen skilled at working around immigration laws.
This baseball underbelly might soon be exposed. Sports Illustrated has learned that theU.S.Departmentof Justice has begun a sweeping probe into possible corruption tied to the recruitment of international players, centered on potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. What’s more, SI has learned that multiple alleged victims of smuggling and human trafficking operations have already given evidence to law enforcement agents or testified before a federal grand jury.
“We had heard there was an investigation coming,” says one top baseball official. “But we didn’t know it was a DOJ matter. I don’t want to speculate, but, yeah, this could get interesting.”
SI has also obtained a thick dossier of documentation that was provided to the FBI at the beginning of the probe. The trove of evidence—the material that largely persuaded the bureau to launch an investigation—includes videotapes, photographs, confidential legal briefs, receipts, copies of player visas and passport documents, internal club emails and private communications by franchise executives in 2015 and 2016.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October 8, 2018-Ausgabe von Sports Illustrated.
Abonnieren Sie Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierter Premium-Geschichten und über 9.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Sie sind bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
WEITERE GESCHICHTEN VON Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated US
ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
HAVING A movie star appear on the cover of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is not a new concept.
1 mins
Winter 2025
Sports Illustrated US
HE'S STILL JOE COOL
the man who TRANSFORMED THE EVENT when he led the Jets to victory 57 years ago reflects on the game—and the path that led him there
12 mins
Winter 2025
Sports Illustrated US
TIGER AT 50
He first made a name from himself as a toddler. Now, with GOLF'S GOAT about to hit a milestone birthday, we look back on a half century of unprecedented dominance and magical moments
4 mins
Winter 2025
Sports Illustrated US
Bearing Witness
SPORTS FANS SAW PLENTY OF ODDITIES IN 2025, INCLUDING A RAMPAGING GRIZZLY AND A BASEBALL-LOVING PONTIFF
5 mins
Winter 2025
Sports Illustrated US
HISTORY LESSONS
The Dodgers and Blue Jays gave us an instant classic in the World Series.
11 mins
Winter 2025
Sports Illustrated US
THE LONG RUN
A DOCUMENTARY FIVE YEARS IN THE MAKING FOLLOWS ONE OF THE NFL'S TOP RUSHERS
1 min
Winter 2025
Sports Illustrated US
HEAVY HITTERS - THE NEW BIOPIC
There are moments of joy, of course: She likes seeing the country, although she did a lot of that as the most famous female boxer of her generation.
13 mins
Winter 2025
Sports Illustrated US
BIG TOE, BIGGER PROBLEM
THERE IS an injury that impacts every football season. This injury has been mislabeled since the day it was named.
14 mins
Winter 2025
Sports Illustrated US
HILL OF A JOB
TAKING A GREAT skiing photograph requires many things: a good eye, proper equipment, patience—and the ability to actually ski.
1 mins
Winter 2025
Sports Illustrated US
COME AT ME, PRO
AS NCAA ELIGIBILITY REGULATIONS LOOSEN, TEAMS ARE TURNING TO FORMER G LEAGUERS
4 mins
Winter 2025
Translate
Change font size

