A member of the San Diego Padres’ player development staff remains in federal custody after being detained by immigration authorities at a Texas airport while attempting to return home from a work trip.
Oswaldo Pirela, the Padres’ 34-year-old minor league catching coordinator, was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement at El Paso International Airport early Sunday morning, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Pirela, a Venezuelan national, had traveled to El Paso for work with the Padres organization. The club’s Triple-A affiliate, the El Paso Chihuahuas, is based in the Texas city.
He was preparing to fly home to Arizona, where he lives with his wife and two daughters, when federal immigration authorities detained him.
“We recently became aware of the detainment of minor league catching coordinator Oswaldo Pirela in El Paso, Texas,” the Padres said in a statement. “We are working to gather additional information and will not have any further comment at this time.”
Pirela’s immigration status has emerged as the central issue surrounding his detention.
His family says he entered the US from Venezuela in 2014 and subsequently sought asylum.
Pirela’s wife, Kemberly Avila, told The Athletic that her husband and other members of his family have pending asylum applications and possess temporary identification cards.
His brother, Jorge Pirela, said the coach did not have his physical work authorization card with him when he was detained at the airport.
DHS, however, offered a different account of his current legal status.
The department said Pirela legally entered the US in 2014 but that his authorization expired in 2018. According to DHS, Pirela “was not in possession of legal documentation granting him status in the country” when he was detained.
Federal officials said Pirela will remain in ICE custody as removal proceedings move forward.
His family maintains that he has continued participating in the US immigration process and has repeatedly renewed his authorization to work while seeking permanent legal status.
The family is also reportedly pursuing an EB-2 employment-based visa for Pirela, per Trending Politics.
Pirela has spent years involved in professional baseball.
Before transitioning into coaching and player development, he played in the Texas Rangers’ minor league system. He joined the Padres organization in 2024 and currently works with catchers throughout the team’s farm system.
His family says the Padres have been assisting them as they navigate the immigration case. Avila has also been able to communicate with her husband since his detention.
The case comes amid the Trump administration’s continued push to increase immigration enforcement, including arrests and deportation proceedings involving individuals officials say lack lawful immigration status.
Cases involving migrants with pending asylum claims have also drawn scrutiny as the administration moves forward with its broader deportation agenda.
For now, Pirela remains in federal custody while his immigration proceedings continue.
Neither the Padres nor Major League Baseball has announced whether the detention will affect Pirela’s position with the organization, and no public timeline has been provided for when his case could be resolved.
