A few things became apparent yesterday evening; Rafael Marquez is still playing professional football, is still captaining the Mexican national side and, apparently, is under investigation by the U.S. Treasury Department for his role in a drug-trafficking cartel.
The 38-year-old centre-half has featured for New York Red Bulls, Monaco and Hellas Verona. However, it was during a seven-year stint with Barcelona that Marquez made his biggest impact, winning four league titles and two Champions League winners medals in this time.
Since departing European football in 2015, Marquez has returned to Atlas, a club in Mexico's Liga MX where he began his career in the mid-1990s.
Having unremarkably featured twice off the bench for Mexico in this year's Confederations Cup in Russia, these recent revelations have brought Marquez' name to the fore again in a more surprising way.
Among other notable figures, the report has singled out Marquez for his direct involvement with the cartel and its primary figure, Raul Flores Hernandez:
Marquez has a longstanding relationship with Flores Hernandez, and has acted as a front person for him and his DTO and held assets on their behalf.
After being informed of these allegations however, Marquez was quick to deny any involvement whatsoever:
Several news outlets reported that I am part of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Treasury Department for alleged ties to criminal organization. I categorically deny any type of relation with this organization and with what has been stated in several news reports.
I understand the legal situation that I find myself in, and I will immediately work on clearing up the facts alongside my team of attorneys.
I also want to ask for respect for my family and towards my situation, because it is not a normal situation -- it is a difficult situation, and I ask for as much respect as possible.
Just as I have approached my professional career, today is my most difficult challenge. I will try to clear this up when I can and be the Rafa Marquez everyone knows.
In what amounts to the single largest investigation of a drag-trafficking organisation ever carried out by this Office of Foreign Assets Control, sanctions on as many as 43 different entities are underway, including a casino and an entire football team.
