SAN DIEGO -- Former All-Star pitcher Esteban Loaiza, who earned more than $43 million over 14 seasons, pleaded guilty Friday to federal drug charges in California.
Loiza acknowledged that he possessed about 20 kilograms, or 44 pounds, of cocaine with intent to distribute. He faces up a minimum of 10 years in a prison and maximum of life when he is sentenced Nov. 2.
Loaiza, 46, was under surveillance when he was arrested in February near a house in Imperial Beach, which borders Tijuana, Mexico. His SUV had just left the garage when authorities confronted him.
After a canine sniffed drugs in the SUV, authorities obtained a search warrant for the house and found the cocaine in 20 packages in the compartment of another vehicle parked in the garage.