El Tri’s Marquez accused of helping drug operation
Mexican soccer star Rafael Márquez and several of his businesses have acted as fronts and held assets for a major drug trafficking organization, the U.S. Treasury Department said Wednesday after it added the player’s name to a list of people and entities that face financial penalties and possible forfeitures for such ties.
Márquez, who plays for the Mexican club Atlas and has represented Mexico at the last four World Cups, and nine businesses linked to him, including his soccer school and charitable foundation, were among the 22 individuals and 42 entities added to the list. All were accused of providing support to, or being under the control of, another Mexican national, Raul Flores Hernandez, and what the department called the “Flores drug trafficking organization.”
The sanctions freeze all U.S. assets of the people and entities named and forbid U.S. citizens from doing business with them. In other soccer news: The Dash’s Morgan Brian is not with the team, remaining in Los Angeles following the Tournament of Nations to focus on the rehabilitation of a groin injury that has plagued her for the better part of the last month. Dash interim coach Omar Morales said there is no timetable for Brian’s return.
DIVING Wilkinson makes platform finals
2000 Olympic gold medalist Laura Wilkinson qualified seventh in the women’s 10-meter platform event at USA Diving’s national championships in Columbus, Ohio.
Wilkinson, 39, who last competed in platform in 2008 at her third Olympics, scored 239.65 points for five dives. Johanna Holloway, 16, of Boynton Beach, Fla., qualified first with 264.95 points.
Finals in the event will be Friday night.
MISCELLANEOUS Lufkin team wins World Series trip
Texas East of Lufkin defeated Texas West of San Antonio 2-1 in Waco to win the Southwest Regional and advance to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. … Joe Bensen went 3-for-3 for Sugar Land in a 7-3 loss to New Britain in Atlantic League action. …
Top-seeded Rafael Nadal and No. 2 Roger Federer cruised to easy victories in their opening matches at the Rogers Cup in Montreal, with Nadal breezing past Borna Coric 6-1, 6-2 and Federer routing Peter Polansky 6-2, 6-1. … Karolina Pliskova began her run as world No. 1 on a positive note, beating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3, 6-3 to reach the third round of the Rogers Cup in Toronto. …
Former Mississippi coach Houston Nutt’s civil lawsuit against the school and its athletics foundation has been dismissed by a federal judge. The suit was dismissed without prejudice, meaning it can be refiled. The lawsuit stated then-Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze and other school officials created a “false narrative” in an effort to place primary blame on Nutt for an NCAA investigation. … Hendrick Motorsports announced William Byron will replace Kasey Kahne in the No. 5 Chevrolet beginning in 2018, giving the teenager a top-tier Cup Series ride for one of NASCAR’s most accomplished teams after three wins on the Xfinity Series this year.