Padres minor-league catching coordinator released from ICE custody

Oswaldo Pirela, a San Diego Padres minor-league catching coordinator, was detained by ICE at El Paso International Airport while returning from a work assignment and has since been released on bond and reunited with his family. DHS has said he entered the United States legally in 2014 but overstayed, and he was not in possession of a valid status document when detained; his family and several reports note he is seeking asylum with an ongoing asylum case. While family members say he has a work permit, some reports indicate he did not carry one at the time of detainment, highlighting uncertainty around his legal status. Pirela, 34, a Venezuela native, has been with the Padres since 2024, after serving as a bench coach for their Low-A affiliate, and is currently based near the team's Peoria, Arizona spring camp. The Padres initially issued a brief statement and then declined further comment as the matter progressed, while local outlets and The Athletic tracked his release and return home. The situation underscores ongoing immigration-status questions for a member of a prominent MLB organization and his family as they navigate removal proceedings and privacy considerations.