Jose Abreu told a Miami federal jury on Wednesday that he ate a chunk of a fake passport while flying to the U.S. to cover up his illegal travel as part of a Cuban ballplayer smuggling operation.
Abreu testified that he ordered a beer on an Air France flight from Haiti to Miami and slowly consumed the page containing a false name and his photo. Abreu said he traveled illegally because he was worried he would miss an October 2013 deadline and lose the $68 million contract he later signed with Chicago.
"If I had not been there on that particular day, the deadline, then the contract would not be executed and would no longer be valid," Abreu said. "We had to be in Chicago to sign the contract."
Via Associated Press
