San Diego Padres minor-league coach held by ICE after work trip

Oswaldo José Pirela, the San Diego Padres’ minor-league catching coordinator, was seized by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at El Paso International Airport early Sunday and is still being held at the El Paso Processing Center. The Padres acknowledged the incident, stating they are seeking further information and will not comment further. Pirela had been in El Paso for a player-development assignment with the organization’s Triple-A affiliate, the El Paso Chihuahuas, and was preparing to return to his home in Arizona with his wife and two U.S.-born daughters.

According to his relatives, he entered the United States from Venezuela in 2014, filed for asylum, and possesses a pending case and work authorization, though he was not carrying his physical work-permit card when detained. ICE has not released a specific reason for his continued custody. His sister Daniela and brother Jorge have appealed publicly for his release, describing him as a law-abiding father and respected coach.