Dominican Republic authorities announced Friday that they have arrested Victor Hugo Gómez, the alleged mastermind behind the shooting of former Boston Red Sox player David Ortiz earlier this month. Announced through a tweet, no other details regarding the arrest were made, though Boston Magazine reports Gómez is also reportedly wanted on drug trafficking charges in the U.S.
The arrest comes after authorities had identified Gómez, a member of Mexico’s Gulf Cartel, last week. It also follows the announcement that eight men and one woman were charged in connection to the shooting.
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According to authorities, Gómez was not the one to pull the trigger and it is believed that he did not intend his victim to be Ortiz. Instead, Gómez reportedly ordered the execution of his cousin, Sixto David Fernandez, who he believed had “ratted on him to the police.”
Ortiz and Fernandez are said to be friends, and they were sitting at a table at a Santo Domingo restaurant together when, on June 9, Ortiz was shot, the bullet entering his back through his stomach and damaging his intestines and liver.
The MLB all-star was rushed to a local hospital, where he underwent a three-hour surgery before being transported by air ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital.
“Our hope is that David will arrive in Boston sometime later tonight. Right now, the clubs exclusive focus is on David’s health and well being,” Red Sox President and CEO Sam Kennedy said at the time. “Please know that we are doing everything we can to support David and his family during this very difficult period.”
The shooting had initially baffled authorities, with it initially believed to have been the result of a botched burglary attempt. As the investigation continued, however, authorities stated that they believed it to be the result of a murder-for-hire plot and they later suggested that Ortiz was not the intended target.
The suspected gunman, Rolfi Ferreira Cruz, confirmed with authorities from his jail cell that Ortiz was not the target, stating that he was “confused by the clothing.”
Speaking to 106.5 on June 14, according to the Boston Globe, Fernandez, the intended target, claimed that he has “no enemies” and was not aware that people wanted to kill him.
Ortiz remains in the hospital at Massachusetts General Hospital, though he has since been moved out of intensive care. In an update last week, his wife, Tiffany Ortiz, stated that he is in “good condition” and “continues to recover.”
