Padres Staffer Detained by ICE at El Paso

Oswaldo Pirela, 34, the San Diego Padres’ minor league catching coordinator, was detained Sunday at El Paso International Airport and is in ICE custody awaiting removal proceedings. U.S. officials say he entered legally in 2014, but overstayed his visa past February 2018 and was not in possession of valid documentation when approached by authorities. His family maintains that he has lived in the U.S. legally for years, with an asylum application filed in 2015 and a wife and two U.S.-citizen children living in Peoria, Arizona; they also say he has valid work authorization. The Padres acknowledged the arrest and said they are gathering more information while DHS maintains the overstayed-status explanation. The family and the club dispute the government’s account, highlighting his lawful history and pending asylum case, as authorities push forward with removal proceedings. This case has drawn attention as a rare ICE detention of a Padres staff member, with ongoing legal and immigration review ahead.