Gilberto Suarez — a South Florida businessman who finances the transition of foreign baseball plays to Major League Baseball in exchange for a portion of their contract — filed suit in a Florida federal court on Tuesday, January 19, 2016 alleging that his client breached a contract and instead paid human smugglers.
According to the complaint, Suarez made an arrangement with Miguel Alfredo Gonzales, a newly-defected Cuban prospect, who was in need of a sponsor. Suarez claims he agreed to pay Gonzalez’s expenses in exchange for 10 percent of his future earnings. The complaint alleges that Suarez ultimately paid more than $200,000 for Gonzalez’s rent, protection, transportation, and personal effects.
The complaint further alleges that Noel Alamo and Lidio M. Dominguez — who Suarez claim smuggle athletes into the United States illegally for cash — persuaded Gonzales to break his deal with Suarez by promising they would bring Gonzales’ girlfriend into the United States. After Gonzales signed a three-year contract worth $12 million with the Philadelphia Phillies, Suarez claims that Gonzales paid Alamo and Dominquez instead of him.
Suarez is suing for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, tortious interference, as well as a civil RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) claim alleging that Alamo and Dominguez, through their business “Int. Sports Managing, LLC,” have illegally smuggled a number of athletes, including Chicago Cubs’ Jorge Soler and Boston Red Sox’s Rusney Castillo.
Suarez is no stranger to the law, having spent a month in prison last May for illegally smuggling Chicago Cubs’ star Yasiel Puig from Cuba.