On the run since 2015 Former professional footballer and drug smuggler caught by police
After almost ten years on the run, former Spanish professional footballer Jesús Emilio Díez de Mier has been arrested in Cadiz. He was found guilty of drug smuggling in 2015, but went into hiding.
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- Former professional footballer Jesús Emilio Díez de Mier, convicted of drug smuggling in 2015, was arrested after almost ten years.
- He was part of a network that had smuggled almost a ton of cocaine from Argentina to Spain.
- The Basque played professional football in Spain from 1992 to 2005, briefly in the Primera División and mostly in the second-highest league.
It is a case that has long been remembered by Spanish football fans and the judiciary alike: Jesús Emilio Díez de Mier, once a professional player in the top Spanish league, has been arrested in the Cádiz region after almost a decade on the run.
The 51-year-old was sentenced to nine years in prison for drug trafficking in 2015, but had evaded imprisonment - until now.
On Sunday morning, police officers stopped the former footballer during a routine check on a street in the municipality of El Puerto de Santa María. Díez de Mier, who has made a name for himself under the nickname "Txutxi", gives false information about his identity - behavior that makes the officers suspicious.
During a check at the police station, he is finally clearly identified. A short time later, officers transfer him to prison.
950 kilos of cocaine: smuggling ring busted years ago
The charges against the former professional footballer are serious. According to the court ruling, Díez de Mier was part of a criminal network that smuggled almost a tonne of cocaine from Argentina to Spain between 2008 and 2009. The drugs, hidden in two containers, entered the country via the ports of Algeciras and Valencia.
Díez de Mier was one of several people convicted in connection with this smuggling ring - including other former footballers. While most of them served their prison sentences, "Txutxi" evaded justice and went into hiding.
Jesús Emilio Díez de Mier was active in Spanish professional football from 1992 to 2005. Born in the Basque country, he mainly played in the second division, but made it to the Primera División for Athletic Bilbao in the 1995-96 season. Despite a solid career, the big breakthrough failed to materialize. He ended his sporting career in 2004. It is not clear from current media reports when he started his criminal career.
The author wrote this article with the help of AI.