A San Diego Padres minor league coach was detained at a Texas airport after federal officials determined that he had allegedly remained in the United States years beyond the expiration of his authorized stay. Oswaldo Pirela, a 34-year-old Venezuelan national, was taken into custody at El Paso International Airport early Sunday. The Department of Homeland Security said Pirela had overstayed by more than eight years. He remains in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody pending removal proceedings.
Pirela serves as the Padres’ minor league catching coordinator and had traveled to El Paso for work with the organization’s Triple-A affiliate, the El Paso Chihuahuas. His family said he was preparing to fly home to Arizona when federal authorities stopped him at approximately 5 a.m. Pirela lives in Peoria, Arizona, with his wife and two children. Both children are American citizens.
The detention prompted competing accounts from Pirela’s relatives and the Department of Homeland Security concerning his immigration status. His family said he has a pending asylum application and regularly renewed his employment authorization. DHS responded that Pirela’s authorization to remain in the country expired in 2018. The department said a work permit or pending immigration application does not grant lawful immigration status.
Pirela was not carrying his physical employment authorization card when authorities detained him, his brother reportedly told The Athletic. According to Trending Politics, his relatives maintained that he entered the country while fleeing political persecution in Venezuela and pursued asylum through the established process. His wife, Kemberly Avila, said members of the family carry temporary identification cards while their asylum applications remain pending. The family also said Pirela is pursuing an EB-2 employment-based visa.
DHS said Pirela entered the United States legally in 2014 and received permission to remain until February 10th, 2018. In a public response, the department called Pirela an illegal alien and said he “overstayed his welcome by more than 8 YEARS.” Officials added, “NOBODY is above the law,” while confirming that Pirela would remain in federal custody. DHS did not announce any separate criminal charges against him.
The department also directly rejected claims that Pirela’s work authorization or pending applications placed him in lawful immigration status. “Work authorization or a pending application do not confer legal status in the United States,” a DHS spokesperson said. Federal officials said the matter would now proceed through the immigration system as Pirela faces possible removal from the country.
The Padres acknowledged the detention after the story became public. “We recently became aware of the detainment of minor league catching coordinator Oswaldo Pirela in El Paso, Texas,” the organization said in a statement cited by ESPN. The team said it was gathering more information and declined to comment further.
"*" indicates required fields
Before joining the Padres’ player-development staff in 2024, Pirela spent three seasons as a catcher in the Texas Rangers’ minor league system. He played in the Dominican Summer League between 2009 and 2011 but never appeared in a Major League Baseball game. His relatives have described him as a hardworking coach, husband and father who has spent approximately 12 years living in the United States. Major League Baseball said the Padres had contacted his family following the detention.