ESPN sports online is reporting on the case of Cuban slugger Alfredo Despaigne, 28, a three-time MVP in Cuba’s national league who has been playing in Mexico using a forged Dominican passport. Prior to leaving Cuba, Despaigne had broken the Cuban league regular-season home run record during the 2012 season, hitting 35 and breaking the old record of 33. He is not known to have defected from Cuba.
As reported, the passport was issued in his name on 24 April 2013 at the Dominican passport office. Dominican passports can only be issued in person. ESPN reports that Despaigne has no family in the DR and has ever visited the country. Baseball America reports that Despaigne was in Cuba playing for Pinar Del Rio in April 2013 and played in a game on April 24, 2013.
The Dominican passport has enabled the Cuban athlete to play in Mexico, a MLB affiliate.
As reported, Francia Hernandez, the colonel in charge of detecting passport fraud in the Dominican Republic, told ESPN that the Dominican passport Despaigne is using has three irregularities: The numbers of the passport and of the book belong to two different Dominican citizens, and the ID card used to make the passport is false.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10927805/top-cuban-alfredo-despaigne-mexico-false-passport
www.baseballamerica.com/international/why-is-cuban-outfielder-alfredo-despaigne-playing-in-mexico-using-a-dominican-passport/
www.bleachernation.com/2014/05/13/oh-my-is-star-cuban-outfielder-alfredo-despaigne-going-to-defect/