'I earned my damn money cleanly!’: Ex-MLB star Octavio Dotel protests his innocence in court outburst following drugs arrest in Dominican Republic's 'largest ever organized crime bust' while 'wanted' Luis Castillo says he will meet with authorities

  • Former major league baseball player Octavio Dotel said Thursday his money is clean and not tied to a drug ring after appearing in a Dominican Republic court 
  • Dotel, who played 15 season in Major League Baseball, was arrested Tuesday and cops reportedly seized four of his cars
  • Dotel and Luis Castillo, who also spent 15 seasons in the majors, are accused of aiding César Emilio Peralta and his Peralta Drug Trafficking Organization
  • Fredermido Ferreras, Dotel's lawyer, accused the prosecutor office and the National Directorate for Drug Control of tipping off Peralta before the raid
  • Castillo's attorney told DailyMail.com on Thursday that his client has not been contacted by authorities in the United States and his native country
  • The U.S. government said Peralta's group transported 'ton-quantities of cocaine and significant quantities of opioids' to the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Europe
  • Proceeds from the drugs were moved from U.S. to the Dominican Republic via Peralta's nightclubs  
  • Peralta was initially named as a suspect in the shooting of Red Sox legend David Ortiz this year 
  • Cops seized safes from Peralta's apartment and he deleted Instagram 
  • Dotel and Castillo were some of 18 people who allegedly played smaller roles 

Former major league baseball player Octavio Dotel protested his innocence in an impassioned address to the media as he was led from a court room in the Dominican Republic on Thursday morning amid accusations money laundering. 

Dotel, a Dominican native who played 15 seasons in the majors, was arrested Tuesday in a take-down billed as the 'largest operation against organized crime' to ever occur in the Caribbean island.

‘It is on my record. I am f****** innocent. I earn my money cleanly. I have earned my damn money cleanly,' the 43-year-old is heard stating in a video posted to Instagram, referencing to his $40 million dollar fortune as he walked through a sea of reporters.

'I have earned it cleanly. We are not crazy.’ 

Dotel was set to return to court with three other defendants next Monday. 

Dotel, who played for 13 teams across his career, and former big leaguer, Luis Castillo, are among 18 people accused of belonging to a powerful gang that used approximately 20 luxury apartments, 10 restaurants and 15 nightclubs where women trafficked from Colombia and Venezuela worked under fugitive drug kingpin César Emilio Peralta. 

Former major league baseball player Octavio Dotel (center) told the press after a Thursday morning court appearance that 'I am f****** innocent. I earn my money cleanly. I have earned my damn money cleanly' amidst charges that he was involved in a money laundering scheme with the head of a drug ring in the Dominican Republic

Former major league baseball player Octavio Dotel (center) told the press after a Thursday morning court appearance that 'I am f****** innocent. I earn my money cleanly. I have earned my damn money cleanly' amidst charges that he was involved in a money laundering scheme with the head of a drug ring in the Dominican Republic

An attorney for Luis Castillo (pictured) told DailMail.com on Thursday that his client never had any business dealing with César Emilio Peralta and his Peralta Drug Trafficking Organization

An attorney for Luis Castillo (pictured) told DailMail.com on Thursday that his client never had any business dealing with César Emilio Peralta and his Peralta Drug Trafficking Organization

Authorities in the Dominican Republic launched a search for César Emilio Peralta, leader of the Peralta Drug Trafficking Organization, which on Tuesday was identified 'as significant foreign narcotics traffickers pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act)'

Authorities in the Dominican Republic launched a search for César Emilio Peralta, leader of the Peralta Drug Trafficking Organization, which on Tuesday was identified 'as significant foreign narcotics traffickers pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act)'

Investigators believe a significant portion of the crimes related to narcotics took place inside the Santa Domingo nightlife venues owned by Peralta and named as VIP Room, Flow Gallery Lounge, Aqua Club, and La Kuora, all of which remain closed.

Castillo, who spent 14 years playing for the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, Florida Marlins and Minnesota Twins and who earned $56.8 million, is currently in the United States with is family, according to his lawyer Darren Heitner.

'We do not truly know what the allegations are,' Heitner told DailyMail.com on Thursday. 

'We have attempted to reach [Dominican authorities] by phone, email and social media. Nobody in the U.S. government has reached out to us.'

According to a story published Thursday afternoon by Dominican newspaper Listin Diario, Castillo is planning on traveling to the island soon to meet with authorities.

Heitner said 'there was never any business dealings' between Castillo and Peralta. 

On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) identified Peralta and the Peralta Drug Trafficking Organization (Peralta DTO) 'as significant foreign narcotics traffickers pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act).'

Dotel's attorney, Fredermido Ferreras, told reporters that Peralta was tipped off by the prosecutor's office and National Directorate for Drug Control [DNCD] a day before his properties were raided.

'César 'The Abuser' was notified in advance by the Attorney General's Office, the DNCD, one day before [the raid] was to be done so that he could leave,' Ferreras said.

Ferreras added that his client once purchased a car directly connected to Peralta and that he never invested in any real estate property. 

Furthermore, the lawyer said Dotel's only link with Peralta was that he would visit his nightclubs and lounges and hold conversations with him. 

Investigators say a significant portion of the crimes related to narcotics took place inside the Santa Domingo nightlife venues owned by César Emilio Peralta (pictured)

Investigators say a significant portion of the crimes related to narcotics took place inside the Santa Domingo nightlife venues owned by César Emilio Peralta (pictured)

Octavio Dotel (top center) told reporters Thursday that he had nothing to do with the leader of a drug distribution network that operates out of the Dominican Republic

Octavio Dotel (top center) told reporters Thursday that he had nothing to do with the leader of a drug distribution network that operates out of the Dominican Republic

Peralta had deleted his Instagram posts Tuesday. Known as 'Cesar El Abusador, or 'Cesar the Abuser', Peralta's name came up as a suspect in the shooting of Red Sox legend David Ortiz earlier this year. 

According to court documents, various phone conversations were intercepted in which Dotel is heard asking a man identified only as 'Mascota', or 'Mitt', for a 'venue' and in the same conversation, the former major leaguer proposes that they 'set up one of those businesses they know about.'

The court papers also noted that Dotel and Castillo invested in 'luxury real estate, with common techniques used in money laundering.'

On January 15, 2015, they secured a loan for the purchase of a villa in the tourist complex of Casa de Campo, property under the domain of Peralta.

Prosecutors said the former baseball players subscribed 'a different sales contract to buy Villa Las Colinas # 21 for 30 million [Dominican] pesos.'

Then on on January 16, 2015, they also subscribed 'as creditors of an alleged loan with a mortgage guarantee in the amount of $ 1.6 million with the same villa set as a guarantee of the debt, which makes no sense if they had already acquired the property of the same one day before.'

Aside from Peralta – who has a lengthy criminal record related to trafficking narcotics and violence - the Peralta Drug Trafficking Organization contains eight other major figures, according to the US Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Cesar Emilio Peralta runs the Peralta Drug Trafficking Organization

Cesar Emilio Peralta runs the Peralta Drug Trafficking Organization

Of the top eight members, major Dominican drug traffickers Ramon Antonio del Rosario Puente (a.k.a. 'Toño Leña) and Kelvin Enrique Fernandez Flaquer (a.k.a. 'Cotto'), were named.

Del Rosario Puente was arrested in May 2018 by Colombian authorities and is currently awaiting extradition to the United States on charges of narcotics trafficking conspiracy.

His son, Jeifrey del Rosario Gautier, is also said to be involved and was arrested Tuesday. 

Yader Rafael Jaquez Araujo - a music promoter who goes by the nickname, Jake Mate - and former Dominican military officer, Carlos Ariel Fernandez Concepcion, were also named as helping Peralto. 

They coordinated the transshipment of 'ton-quantities of cocaine and significant quantities of opioids through the Dominican Republic and onward to consumer markets in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Europe', the Treasury stated.

The organization also transferred bulk proceeds for the drugs from the United States to the Dominican Republic and laundered the money mainly via the nightlife venues.

Agents of the Dominican National Drug Control Board (DNCD) and the Prosecutor's Office participate in the dismantling operation of a drug trafficking network, in Santo Domingo

Agents of the Dominican National Drug Control Board (DNCD) and the Prosecutor's Office participate in the dismantling operation of a drug trafficking network, in Santo Domingo

The operation is the 'broadest and deepest' in the fight against drug trafficking in the country, Dominican Prosecutor Jean Alain Rodriguez said

The operation is the 'broadest and deepest' in the fight against drug trafficking in the country, Dominican Prosecutor Jean Alain Rodriguez said

Members of the Calm City Task Force (CIUTRAN) brigade of the Dominican Army, take part in the dismantling operation of a drug trafficking network, in Santo Domingo

Members of the Calm City Task Force (CIUTRAN) brigade of the Dominican Army, take part in the dismantling operation of a drug trafficking network, in Santo Domingo

Ramon Antonio del Rosario Puente (a.k.a. 'Toño Leña)
Boarnerges Sanchez Nolasco

Ramon Antonio del Rosario Puente (left, a.k.a. 'Toño Leña) and Boarnerges Sanchez Nolasco (right)

'César Emilio Peralta and his criminal organization have used violence and corruption in the Dominican Republic to traffic tons of cocaine and opioids into the United States and Europe. Treasury is targeting these Dominican drug kingpins, their front persons, and the nightclubs they have used to launder money and traffic women,' said Sigal Mandelker, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.

'This Administration continues to systematically target strategically important drug kingpins and cartels fueling our country's opioid epidemic.'

In connection with the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, teams were seen dragging assets out of a property, in a video obtained by CDN.

Kelvin Enrique Fernandez Flaquer (a.k.a. 'Cotto')
Yader Rafael Jaquez Araujo - a music promoter who goes by the nickname, Jake Mate

Kelvin Enrique Fernandez Flaquer (a.k.a. 'Cotto'), and Yader Rafael Jaquez Araujo - a music promoter who goes by the nickname, Jake Mate - were named as some involved in the crimes based out of Santa Domingo

Jhonan Alexander Martinez Urena
Carlos Ariel Fernandez Concepcion

Jhonan Alexander Martinez Urena (left) and former Dominican military officer, Carlos Ariel Fernandez Concepcion, (right)

The Treasury said as a result of the investigation by the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration, all assets and interests of those involved were blocked and must be reported.

The full extent of what other property the alleged gang had connected to the crimes is unknown but from Dotel alone, cops reportedly seized four cars.

Dotel – who started out with the Mets in 1999 and pitched for the Yankees in 2006 – played with 13 major league baseball teams in his 15-year career.

Penalties for violations of the Kingpin Act range from civil penalties of up to $1,466,485 per violation to more severe criminal penalties. Criminal penalties for corporate officers may include up to 30 years in prison and fines of up to $5 million. Criminal fines for corporations may reach $10 million.

Bernardo Antonio Valdez Garcia
Natanael Castro Cordero

Bernardo Antonio Valdez Garcia (left) and Natanael Castro Cordero (right) 

An agent of the Dominican National Drug Control Board (DNCD) and a soldier take part in the dismantling operation of a drug trafficking network, in Santo Domingo

An agent of the Dominican National Drug Control Board (DNCD) and a soldier take part in the dismantling operation of a drug trafficking network, in Santo Domingo

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