The court in Esmeraldas found the player innocent Gabriel Cortezwho was involved in a process related to organized crime.

Alfredo Arboleda, the player’s lawyer, said Cortez, Barcelona’s record scorer, had been found not guilty.

The soccer player and ten other people were summoned to trial for organized crime.

By confirming that the player is innocent, it is ordered that all measures against him be lifted, such as the ban on leaving the country.

Preventive detention is ordered for 17 of the 18 arrested in the Poseidon operation, including player Gabriel Cortez and three police officers

A court ruling would allow the player to travel with his team to Libertadores matches.

Cortez was arrested last year in Guayaquil and later transferred to Esmeraldas.

The police launched a whole operation to take the players to that province. A press conference was even held with the police authorities and the Government.

“Not only do we believe (that the footballer) participated, but he was the one who ordered and received information about the people who were killed by the killers,” says the minister about the capture of Gabriel Cortez

Police detained 18 suspects after 29 raids conducted on Friday, April 22, 2022 in Esmeraldas, Guayas and Manabi. This police operation was called Poseidon.

Among those involved in this case were Gabriel Cortez and three active police officers. Cortez was free with the alternative measures he received a few months later.

Government authorities linked this case to Los Tiguerones, a GDO with a presence in Esmeraldas.

Then the Minister of the Interior at the time, Patricio Carrillo, confirmed the capture of three active police officers and one soccer player for their alleged connection with that criminal organization.

Without naming the player directly, Carrillo mentioned the alleged connections between the football player and the band. “Not only do we believe (that) he has involvement (with the Los Tiguerones organization), but (that) he was the one who ordered and received information about the people that the killers attacked, depriving them of their lives,” the official said.