A San Diego Padres minor-league coach remains in federal immigration custody after being detained at an airport while traveling home from a work assignment.
Oswaldo José Pirela, the Padres’ minor-league catching coordinator, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at El Paso International Airport early Sunday, according to his family. An ICE detainee search showed Pirela remained at the El Paso Processing Center as of Tuesday morning.
The Padres confirmed the situation but stopped short of offering details about why Pirela was detained.
“We recently became aware of the detainment of minor league catching coordinator Oswaldo Pirela in El Paso, Texas,” the organization said. “We are working to gather additional information and will not have any further comment at this time.”
Pirela, 34, had been in El Paso for work connected to the Padres’ player-development operation and was preparing to return home to Arizona, where he lives with his wife and two U.S.-born daughters. San Diego’s Triple-A affiliate, the El Paso Chihuahuas, is based there.
Exactly what prompted the detention remains unclear.
Pirela’s relatives say he came to the United States from Venezuela in 2014, applied for asylum and has a pending case. His family also says he has authorization to work in the country, though The Athletic reported that Pirela was not carrying his physical work-permit card when he was detained. ICE had not publicly provided a detailed explanation for why he remained in custody.
“He did everything lawfully as the U.S. asks,” sister Daniela Pirela told NBC News. “He loves this country.”
His brother, Jorge, said the family left Venezuela after experiencing political persecution and pursued asylum through the established process. In an Instagram post appealing for his brother’s release, Jorge described Pirela as a devoted father, dedicated coach and respected member of the communities in which he has worked.
Pirela has spent much of his adult life in baseball. He played in the Texas Rangers’ minor-league system from 2009-11 before eventually transitioning into coaching. He joined the Padres organization in 2024 and now works throughout their player-development system as a catching coordinator.
For now, the Padres are gathering information while Pirela’s family seeks legal assistance and waits for clarity on why a routine work trip ended with him in federal custody.
