Alleged mastermind in David Ortiz shooting arrested
The alleged mastermind in the shooting of former baseball star David Ortiz has been detained, the Dominican Republic attorney general's office confirmed to CBS News Friday. According to prosecutors, Victor Hugo Gomez has a lengthy criminal history and is believed to be a member of a major Mexican drug cartel, CBS News correspondent Mola Lenghi reports.
According to Dominican authorities, the intended target in the June 9 shooting at a bar in Santo Domingo was a friend of Ortiz who was sitting just feet away. Authorities believe Gomez ordered the attack from inside the United States and that the alleged gunman mistook Ortiz for the man he was supposed to kill.
Prosecutors believe Gomez planned it all and that he meant to kill his own cousin, Sixto David Fernandez, who police said was wearing similar clothing to Ortiz the night of the shooting. Dominican officials believe Gomez wanted revenge against Fernandez for ratting him out for a drug offense eight years ago.
Gomez is wanted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. He had been on the run in the United States since March for a major drug sting known as "Operation Wrecking Ball."
Surveillance video shows an alleged middleman, Alberto Rodriguez Mota, at the bar in the hours leading up to the attack. Authorities said he took a dark picture of the intended target and shared it with the other suspects.
Minutes later, the video shows him calmly standing during the chaos. Earlier this month, the alleged shooter, Rolfi Ferreira-Cruz, told reporters from his jail cell that he did not mean to shoot Ortiz and was only told what color of clothing to look for.
