US Authorities Chasing Dominican Drug Lord 'El Abusador' Rumored to Have Targeted David Ortiz
By Sam Dunn
More troubling news out of the Dominican Republic. As Red Sox legend David Ortiz continues to recover from a shocking shooting incident in his native country that nearly claimed his life, more reporting continues to pour in shedding light on some of the dangerous activities taking place there-- and the figures allegedly behind them.
BIG NEWS out of Dominican Republic. Cesar El Abusador, who I wrote about (and DM'd) as rumored to be behind the Ortiz shooting, is being sought by prosecutors, DEA & FBI, as the top narco in the country. Also says he used MLB players to launder money: https://t.co/HboZ6HGHFL https://t.co/Y5PThqfMSG
— Danny Gold (@DGisSERIOUS) August 20, 2019
As noted by reporter Danny Gold, federal authorities in the United States reportedly have set their sights on "El Abusador" César Emilio Peralta, an organized crime figure they consider to be a major drug trafficker. And there's loose talk -- to be clear, unconfirmed at this time -- that Peralta is a person of interest in the case of Ortiz's assassination attempt.
When I was in the Dominican Republic covering the Ortiz shooting, many Dominicans told me about Cesar “el abusador,” who they said was a feared local drug kingpin that was untouchable. He is now a fugitive being sought by US and Dominican officials. https://t.co/ZX18Xbc0Px
— Patrick Oppmann CNN (@CNN_Oppmann) August 20, 2019
Peralta himself is understood to have neither confirmed nor denied any involvement in the planning of Ortiz's shooting. Interestingly enough, Gold reports that Big Papi and "El Abusador" both own residences in the same building in the DR-- and that the local media have announced the building has been raided.
Dominican media is reporting that the luxury tower where Cesar lived is being raid. AND Ortiz lived in the same building. 15 clubs, 10 restaurants, 3 shopping malls, and 20 apt buildings being raided. This is all coming from a journo friend down there on whatsapp so no links
— Danny Gold (@DGisSERIOUS) August 20, 2019
To reiterate: it is not confirmed that Peralta played a role in the events that led up to Ortiz getting shot, nor is it confirmed that Ortiz was "in trouble" with the guy. But there does seem to be an increasing amount of smoke here. And with the added fact that the Treasury, DEA, and FBI all consider Peralta to be a prolific criminal actor, the stakes have never been higher.
Don't think you've heard the last of this story. Not by a long shot.