Arrested on Charges of Being a Gang Member Involved in Murder and Drug Trafficking
Not Just a Simple Member, Holds a Position to Give Orders and Receive Reports When Contracted for Hit Jobs
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] An Ecuadorian soccer player, currently the top scorer in the league and a regular starter for Barcelona SC, has been arrested on charges of involvement with a drug cartel.
According to foreign media reports such as the UK outlet The Sun and Marca on the 23rd local time, Ecuador's star soccer player Gabriel Cortez (26) was arrested at his home on the 22nd on suspicion of being a member of an organization involved in murder and drug trafficking.
Cortez has scored 7 goals in 9 matches in the Ecuador Serie A league, leading both the individual scoring chart and his team's position at the top of the league. He even played and performed well in a match the day before his arrest.
The Ecuadorian police recently arrested 18 people in an operation to dismantle a criminal organization, discovering evidence such as cars, mobile phones, and drugs believed to have been used in crimes during simultaneous raids at 29 locations.
According to local police, the organization, named "Los Tiguerones," is involved in illegal activities including drug and weapon trafficking, murder, and extortion. Among the 18 arrested, 3 are active police officers, and Ecuador’s star soccer player Cortez is also under investigation as a member of the group.
Ecuador’s Interior Minister Patricio Carrillo stated, "Cortez was not just a simple member; he was in a position to give orders and receive reports when contract killings were requested."
If true, Cortez led a double life?being the league’s top scorer by day as a soccer player and involved in a drug gang by night.
Following the news of Cortez’s arrest reported by the media, his club Barcelona SC issued a statement through their official SNS.
Although the club did not explicitly mention the player’s name, they denied responsibility or complicity, stating, "Issues arising from the player’s private life are not the team’s responsibility. Barcelona SC will closely monitor all processes and take appropriate measures."
However, Cortez’s lawyer claimed, "This is unfair. He only answered two phone calls and listened," arguing that there is no proof of criminal activity.
Gabriel Cortez, a star player so famous in Ecuador that almost everyone knows him, is popularly called "Roco" Cortez and enjoys great popularity.
However, soccer fans were deeply shocked upon seeing Cortez’s mugshot (an identifiable photo of a suspect taken by the police) released by local media.
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