Padres' minor-league catching coordinator detained by ICE while traveling for the team

Alexandra Mendoza, The San Diego Union-Tribune on Aug 18, 2026

Published in Baseball

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres’ minor league catching coordinator, who is seeking asylum in the United States from Venezuela, was detained on Sunday at a Texas airport by U.S. Border Patrol agents, according to his family and federal officials.

Oswaldo Pirela, 34, was traveling back home to Arizona from El Paso after a work trip when he was taken into custody by federal agents. According to his family, he has an ongoing asylum case; he has been living in the U.S. since 2014 and has an active work permit.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detainee locator system shows Pirela is being held at the El Paso Processing Center, and his family said a hearing is expected next week.

A U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Pirela entered the country legally in 2014 and “was granted permission by the Obama administration” to remain in the country until Feb. 10, 2018. “In violation of our nation’s laws, he overstayed his welcome,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Pirela did not have legal documentation granting him status in the U.S. when he was approached by law enforcement officers at the airport, according to the spokesperson.

“To be clear, work authorization or a pending application do NOT confer legal status in the United States,” the official said.

The spokesperson said Pirela will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and will receive due process. The statement did not address Pirela’s ongoing asylum case.

The Padres said in a statement Monday that the organization was aware of Pirela’s detention: “We are working to gather additional information and will not have any further comment at this time.”

Pirela travels often for work. The Padres’ top minor league affiliate is located in El Paso; the Chihuahuas played at home all last week.

Over the past few weeks, there have been reports of ICE arrests at airports in several states. Knowing this, Pirela and his family came up with a routine: He would check in with them every time he left or arrived on a flight, so his family could feel at ease.

Still, Naivy Dominguez, Pirela’s mother, said they never thought he would actually be targeted.

On Sunday morning, his family became worried when he didn’t respond to their text messages. They soon learned that he had been detained.

“I felt horrible,” she said.

Domínguez described her son as “extremely responsible, loved by his family and friends.” He is the father of two young U.S. citizen girls.

Pirela was born in Barquisimeto, a city of 1.2 million people located in the state of Lara in the northwest part of Venezuela. A catcher and first baseman in the Texas Rangers organization, Pirela joined the Padres’ minor-league coaching ranks in 2024, serving as bench coach for the Lake Elsinore Storm, the team’s Low Single-A affiliate.

Pirela is based in Arizona, where the Padres hold spring training and ongoing minor league workouts throughout the season.

____

Staff writer Kevin Acee contributed to this report.