Dominican military probes thriving prospect-trafficking corridor

Santo Domingo.- The militaryofficers allegedly involved in the defection in Santo Domingo of the and Cuban brothersand baseball players Lourdes and Yulieski Gourriel are under arrest, Defense ministerMáximo Muñoz revealed Tuesday.

Quoted by local media, Muñoz saidthe details of the investigation will be provided, and confirmed the connectionto the case of Dominican Air Force major William Solis, named last week by theCuban envoy as the one linked to the players’ escape. "An investigation isunderway; both on he and the soldiers who were involved."

He said the armed forces"have rules and discipline" to be enforced in this case.

On Feb. 8 Cuban star infielder YulieskiGourriel and his brother Lourdes left the hotel lodging his country’s delegationfor the Caribbean Series, which had ended in Santo Domingo one day before.

Yulieski Gourriel, 31, consideredCuba’s top baseball player of the last 10 years, makes him a coveted prize inthe now thriving Cuba-Dominican Republic-USA prospect-trafficking corridor.

Another Cuban prospect, Javier González Jorge, 20, came to the Dominican Republic, with majorleague scouts closely watching.