Padres’ Hoyt Charged With Drug Running
San Diego Padres pitcher LaMarr Hoyt, the American League’s best three years ago, was arrested for trying to smuggle hundreds of Valium and Quaalude tablets across the border from Mexico, authorities said today.
Hoyt, 31, was arrested Tuesday night and held at the federal Metropolitan Correctional Center for arraignment on two counts of suspicion of importation of a controlled substance and one count of conspiracy.
It was his second arrest at the border crossing on drug charges.
Assistant U.S. Atty. Pat Swan said the charges could change depending on the outcome of a laboratory analysis of the 490 pills.
Hoyt, who won the Cy Young Award while with the Chicago White Sox in 1983, drew the suspicions of an officer at the San Ysidro border crossing, U.S. Customs Service spokesman John Miller said.
“The inspector noticed a bulge in (Hoyt’s) groin area and he was escorted to a secondary area where he was given a pat-down search,” Miller said. “They discovered two plastic bags containing Valium and Quaaludes.”
On Feb. 10, Hoyt was arrested at the San Ysidro border crossing as he returned to San Diego from Tijuana for having 3 grams of marijuana, 79 Valium tablets and 46 Quaaludes in his possession. He was ordered to pay a $620 fine and forfeit the drugs.
Eight days later, Hoyt was arrested and charged with weapons and drug violations in San Diego.
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