Humberto Cruz, 19, a top right-handed pitching prospect for the San Diego Padres, has opted to self-deport to his native country of Mexico after entering a guilty plea to a federal misdemeanor charge connected to the transportation of illegal aliens within the United States. Cruz signed with the Padres out of Monterrey, Mexico in February 2024 and received a bonus of $750,000.
The young man was ranked as the ball club’s number five prospect by several scouting outlets before he was busted for human smuggling. The incident that may have cost him his career in Major League Baseball, practically every American kid’s dream, happened on October 28, 2025, near Lukeville, Arizona. A criminal complaint was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.
The complaint said that Border Patrol agents witnessed a brown 2020 BMW SUV sporting Mexican license plates traveling south on State Route 85, with only the driver inside the vehicle. An hour later, agents saw the same SUV traveling north near mile-marker 77 with several additional passengers. This prompted agents to make a traffic stop near mile-marker 58.
According to a report from Trending Politics News, Cruz was identified as the driver of the SUV, while the two additional passengers were Mexican citizens who had crossed the border illegally. One of the passengers had previously been deported just four days prior to the incident through Nogales, Arizona. Cruz waived his Miranda rights and told agents he had responded to an ad on social media looking for drivers to “pick up people for easy money.”
He then told federal authorities that he was offered a thousand dollars for each person he transported. Pin drops sent locations to his phone and he was then directed to drive the individuals to Tucson and then Phoenix. Cruz admitted to knowing the passengers were in the U.S. illegally, stating he needed the extra money because he didn’t have work in the late afternoons.
The report stated that federal prosecutors first charged Cruz with one felony count of transportation of illegal aliens for profit and one misdemeanor count of accessory after the fact to improper entry. Then, on November 13, 2025, Cruz made a plea agreement and the government dropped the felony charge, which could have landed the pitching prospect in prison for a decade, in exchange for Cruz pleading guilty to the misdemeanor.
The pitcher was then handed a 30-day prison sentence with credit for time served. The agreement stated that Cruz understood his conviction made his removal from the country “practically inevitable and a virtual certainty.” As a result of that reality, he waived almost all rights to appeal or seek modification of the sentence.
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Cruz was placed on the Padres. minor-league restricted list on March 13, 2026, which suspends a player’s salary and also denies access to team facilities. Sources within the team confirmed to local media outlets that Cruz self-deported back to his home country of Mexico. He will now lose his work visa for up to 10 years. If he behaves himself, Cruz will be eligible to apply for reinstatement after five years.
“To my teammates, the organization, our fans, and my family, I want to express my sincere regret for a recent lapse in judgment that has caused disappointment to many people I deeply respect. I understand that my actions have fallen short of the standards expected of me as a professional and as a representative of this organization,” Cruz went on to say in a statement released by the Padres.
“I take responsibility for my conduct and recognize the impact it has had on my teammates, the club, and those who support us. To my teammates and coaches, I apologize for becoming a distraction and for not upholding the level of professionalism you deserve. To the fans, I am sorry for letting you down and for failing to meet the trust placed in me. Your support means a great deal, and I regret not honoring it in the way I should have. To my family, I am grateful for your continued support and understanding during this difficult time,” the statement added.