Padres’ minor league coach released from ICE custody

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KESQ) - San Diego Padres' minor league catching coordinator Oswaldo Pirela, who was detained by U.S. Border Patrol agents, has been released from ICE custody, it was reported today.

Pirela, 34, was detained earlier this month at El Paso International Airport while on a work-related trip, and was released on bond after just over a week. Online federal detainee records do not show him in custody, while Pirela's family members told news outlets he has returned home to his family in Arizona.  

Pirela's family members have said he came to the United States from Venezuela, has a pending asylum case, and has a work permit.   

A U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement earlier this month that Pirela entered the U.S. legally in 2014 and "was granted permission by the Obama administration to remain in the country until February 10, 2018."  

The spokesperson said Pirela then "overstayed his welcome'' and was arrested after he was found without legal documentation.   

Before joining the Padres' minor league system as a coach in 2024, Pirela played from 2009 to 2011 for the Texas Rangers organization in the Dominican Summer League.