Former Barcelona Defender Rafa Marquez Linked With Major Mexican Drug Cartel

The captain of Mexico’s national football team has been sanctioned by the US for allegedly being a “front person” for a drug-trafficking cartel. Rafael Márquez was one of 21 people and 42 organisations singled out by the US treasury department for sanctions.
They are all accused of having ties with alleged drug trafficker Raul Flores Hernandez. Mexican singer Julio César Álvarez is also on the list. Maquez denied the accusations in a news conference Wednesday evening and vowed to cooperate with authorities.
“I deny categorically any type of relation with this organization,” he said. “I understand the legal situation in which I find myself, and I will immediately focus my energy on the clarification of the facts with the support of my team of lawyers.”Marquez, who hails from the cartel-riddled state of Michoacan, is one of the country’s best know sportsmen and has played in Europe for club sides FC Barcelona and Monaco. He still occasionally captains the Mexican national team, having represented his country in four World Cup soccer tournaments.