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A San Diego Padres minor-league catching coordinator was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents on Monday.
As first reported by The Athletic, Oswaldo Pirela was detained at El Paso International Airport in Texas at around 4 a.m. Sunday.
The Padres’ Triple-A affiliate is in El Paso. Pirela was reportedly flying home to his family in Arizona.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recruiter Gabriel Montanez helps a man fill out an application during a CBP and Border Patrol recruitment event at a public library in El Paso, Texas, U.S., September 25, 2025. REUTERS/Paul Ratje (Reuters, Paul Ratje)
Pirela's wife, Kimberly Avila, has been in contact with her husband since the incident and has said that the Padres are assisting with the situation.
The 34-year-old Pirela was apparently not carrying his work permit card at the time he was detained, according to Oswaldo’s brother, Jorge Pirela.
Pirela and his family are originally from Venezuela.
San Diego Padres players celebrate after defeating the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver, Colo., on April 21, 2026. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
"We recently became aware of the detainment of minor league catching coordinator Oswaldo Pirela in El Paso, Texas," the Padres said in a statement following the incident. "We are working to gather additional information and will not have any further comment at this time."
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OutKick reached out to ICE upon learning of Pirela's detainment and received the following statement.
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"On August 16, 2026, Border Patrol arrested Oswaldo Jose Pirela Dominguez, an illegal alien from Venezuela, at the El Paso International Airport," the statement said. "He entered the country legally on September 10, 2014, and was granted permission by the Obama administration to remain in the country until February 10, 2018.
"In violation of our nation’s laws, he overstayed his welcome. When approached by law enforcement officers, he was not in possession of legal documentation granting him status in the country. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and will receive due process."
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Pathak says humanoid robots could conduct surveillance along the southern border while keeping federal officers in safer locations. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
The statement goes on to clarify that a work authorization or a pending application "do NOT confer legal status in the United States," addressing Avila's claims that Pirela, along with the rest of the family, have had pending asylum applications along with temporary ID cards.
Austin Perry is a writer for OutKick.
