Oswaldo Jose Pirela, who works as a minor league catching coordinator for the San Diego Padres, has been taken into custody by ICE in El Paso, Texas.
Relatives and federal detainee records indicated that Pirela remained in custody as of late Monday. His sister said the Venezuela-born baseball coach was detained at about 5 a.m. Sunday at El Paso International Airport while he was traveling on Padres-related business.
His wife, Kemberly Avila, told The Athletic that he had been on his way home to his family in Arizona. The Padres’ Triple-A club is located in El Paso, and Pirela’s brother said he did not have his work permit card with him at the time of the detention. The Padres are now coordinating with his family as they seek to help.
“We recently became aware of the detainment of minor league catching coordinator Oswaldo Pirela in El Paso, Texas,” the San Diego Padres said in a statement. “We are working to gather additional information and will not have any further comment at this time.”
The Daily Mail has reached out to ICE for a response.
Oswaldo Jose Pirela, a Padres catching coordinator, has been taken into ICE custody
Pirela and his family live in Arizona, the state where the Padres hold spring training each year
Speaking in an emotional interview with NBC, his sister, Daniela Pirela, said he applied for asylum in the United States after arriving in 2014 and is legally in the country. She said she does not know why his case has remained in processing for so long.
‘He did everything lawfully as the U.S. asks,’ she said. ‘He loves this country.’
‘He’s a very strong person and he tries not to worry us. He’s going to say he’s OK. That’s what he said.’
According to his LinkedIn, Oswaldo Pirela has been with the Padres since January 2024. He has two U.S.-born daughters.
‘Oswaldo, like me and other members of our family, was directly affected by persecution from the Venezuelan regime,’ brother Jorge Heli Pirela said on Instagram.
‘We came to the United States seeking safety through the legal process, applied for asylum through the proper channels, and have worked hard to build our lives and become contributing members of American society.’
He called Oswaldo ‘a devoted father, a dedicated coach, an exceptional worker, and someone who has earned the respect of his coworkers, former managers, employers, players, and the communities he has been part of.’
According to his LinkedIn, Pirela has been with the Padres since January 2024
His sister believes he was targeted due to his active asylum case, saying: ‘There isn’t a reason why they detained him. They still haven’t told us.’
The family has publicly asked for U.S. Rep. Abraham Hamadeh, R-Arizona, representing their home district, to intervene in the case and are hoping for his release and ‘due process’ while the family seeks a lawyer to help free him.
Pirela’s mother, Naivy Dominguez, asked supporters to ‘speak up’ and ‘tell the world who he truly is’.
She wrote on Instagram: ‘He is being unjustly detained, even though his lawful history in this country can be documented.
‘Today, his daughters are waiting for their father to come home. His family is waiting for him. His community is standing behind him.’
Pirela was signed by the Texas Rangers in 2009 and remained with the organization for three years, playing multiple positions for the Dominican Summer League Rangers in the minors, according to Major League Baseball records.
His mother said family members are awaiting his return to Arizona.
‘Today, his daughters are waiting for their father to come home,’ she said. ‘His family is waiting for him. His community is standing behind him.’
