Ex-Athletic Bilbao Player Arrested After Nine Years on the Run for Drug Trafficking

Jesús Emilio Díez de Mier, known as 'Txutxi,' was detained in southern Spain for his role in smuggling 950 kilograms of cocaine worth €32 million.

Jesús Emilio Díez de Mier, a former Spanish footballer, was arrested during a routine police check in El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz, after nine years on the run.
Díez de Mier was convicted in 2014 and sentenced to nine years in prison for his involvement in smuggling 950 kilograms of cocaine from Argentina to Spain between 2008 and 2009.
The cocaine, valued at over €32 million on the black market, was transported in containers to the ports of Algeciras and Valencia as part of a criminal operation.
The 51-year-old initially provided false identification during the police stop, but his true identity was confirmed during further investigation at the station.
Before his criminal activities, Díez de Mier had a promising football career, debuting for Athletic Bilbao in La Liga in 1992 and later playing over 300 matches in Spain's second division.