Contreras and family were among the Cubans allegedly smuggled…

The family of Chicago White Sox pitcher Jose Contreras and Seattle Mariners shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt were among the Cubans allegedly smuggled into the United States by an agent and others accused of immigration violations, federal prosecutors say.
Betancourt is among a group of Cubans smuggled to the United States by boat on Dec. 4, 2003, then driven to Los Angeles, according to documents filed this week in the case against agent Gustavo "Gus" Dominguez and five other defendants. The papers for the first time revealed the identities of players and family members allegedly involved in some of the smuggling ventures that resulted in a 53-count grand jury indictment announced in October.
Dominguez and the other defendants have pleaded not guilty to federal alien smuggling, conspiracy and other related charges. A trial is scheduled to begin early next month in Key West. It was not clear whether Contreras or Betancourt might be summoned to testify.
The Cuban players eventually became free agents and Betancourt reached an agreement in April 2004 to play with the Mariners, the documents say. Dominguez had told Major League Baseball officials that both players had previously fled Cuba for Mexico, where they had allegedly established residence and obtained Mexican passports.
Betancourt was driven from Los Angeles to Mexico to obtain a visa to legitimize his entry into the United States, but his Mexican passport was "determined to be fraudulent," prosecutors said. He was arrested by Mexican authorities but later released and entered the U.S. again on Oct. 10, 2004, as a Cuban seeking asylum.
Betancourt, 24, who lives in Boca Raton, Fla., has not been charged in the smuggling case. Last season he played in 157 games for the Mariners, batting .289 with eight home runs and 28 doubles.
Contreras, who has pitched in World Series with the Yankees and White Sox, was 13-9 with a 4.27 ERA and 134 strikeouts last season with Chicago. He defected in 2002 while playing with the Cuban national baseball team in a tournament in Mexico.