Former Cubs Prospect Josefrailin Alcántara Sought in Connection with Fatal Shooting

Former Chicago Cubs minor leaguer Josefrailin Alcántara is being sought in connection to the fatal shooting of a 26-year-old man in the Dominican Republic.

Citing reports out of the country, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reported the Dominican Republic National Police are searching for Alcántara in connection to the shooting.

In a statement to Lee, the Cubs said they released Alcántara after receiving notification from Dominican authorities about the investigation.

"We were made aware of a death investigation involving one of our former minor league players who was away from the team due to a suspension and has been subsequently released following notification by authorities in the Dominican Republic," the Cubs said. "We cannot provide further comment until we have additional details."

Officials said the shooting occurred on May 18, according to Dominican Republic newspaper Diario Libre (h/t Alec Gearty of the New York Post).

Alcántara allegedly shot the man, identified as Darwin Díaz Valerio, twice following an argument inside of a car, per Diario Libre's report.

Dominican police are in possession of the vehicle and found a bullet for a nine-millimeter gun and blood stains in the interior. Diego Aníbal Rodríguez Martínez, Alcántara's cousin, was allegedly in the back of the vehicle when the shooting occurred and was arrested on Wednesday.

Lee noted Alcántara was suspended in March for violating team rules prior to his release. The 18-year-old outfielder signed with the Cubs as an international free agent in January 2022. He appeared in 40 games for their Dominican Summer League squad last season.