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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.

9. Officials and agents as traffickers: 2009's 'operation cyclone'

The easy money of the drug trade entices not only players, but officials in professional soccer as well. In the February 2009 "Operation Cyclone," Spanish police arrested 11 people for allegedly using their ties to the sport as a cover for an international drug trafficking ring stretching from Argentina to Europe.

The names included one current and another ex-professional player, as well as several recruiting agents. Authorities said the head of the ring was Zoran Matijevic, who Spanish newspaper El Pais identified as a FIFA-licensed players' agent. He and his associate Pedrag Stankovic, a former player with Hercules de Alicante CF, were accused of directly financing the purchase of at least 600 kilos of cocaine as part of the smuggling scheme.

FIFA moved quickly to control the damage on its image. Following Mr. Matijevic's arrest, the federation said that it had not licensed players' agents since 2001, and that this practice was conducted by national associations only. In its statement, FIFA added it "strongly condemned any criminal activities which may be, even if indirectly, associated to football."

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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