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10 ways soccer and organized crime mix in Latin America

Soccer has long been a unifying force in Latin America. But 'the beautiful game' has attracted some of the most infamous drug kingpins in the region, something that's corrupted players, officials, and even whole clubs.

6. Narcos become benefactors: The Mapaches de Nueva Italia

The FARC aren't the only ones who know the potential for soccer to generate good PR. Michoacán kingpin Wenceslao Alvarez, alias "El Wencho," may have purchased a B-list soccer team in the state, the Mapaches de Nueva Italia, for just that reason.

Before his 2008 arrest, Mr. Alvarez was something of a chameleon in his criminal career. He was an active member of the Gulf Cartel before working with the Familia Michoacana, and is also believed to have close ties to the Zetas, according to the US Treasury.

When police raided the Mapaches' offices, they arrested various members of the team, who had benefited greatly from their boss' illegal work. As a Los Angeles Times investigation found, the players all had unusually high salaries, drove luxury vehicles and received new uniforms for every game. Prosecutors included the team in a list of legal fronts for his illicit income.

For someone like Alvarez, a narco who ran a drug empire stretching from coca fields in Colombia to the streets of Atlanta, the team was far too small to launder significant amounts of money. Purchasing the team seems to have been more about building up support in his home territory than a business move.

According to Mexican sports historian Carlos Calderon, it had the intended effect. "This guy was seen in the region where the Familia Michoacana operated as a benefactor, because he formed teams and created soccer schools for children, providing them with shirts and shoes, all with drug money," Calderon told the sports magazine El Grafico.

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Mark Sappenfield
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