A former Venezuelan baseball player associated with the San Diego Padres was detained by U.S. immigration officials upon his arrival in Texas for a work trip, according to his family on Tuesday. The specifics surrounding the detention have not been disclosed, but the incident raises questions about immigration policies affecting professional athletes traveling for work.
Pirela was on a work trip when he was arrested Sunday around 5 a.m. at an airport in El Paso, according to Daniela Pirela, his sister. Daniela Pirela said her 34-year-old brother has lived in U.S. for 12 years and has followed the law. She said he applied for asylum in 2015 and lives in Peoria, Arizona, with his wife and two children, ages 9 and 4, who are both U.S. citizens.
The Padres said in a statement that the team was aware of Pirela’s arrest and was trying to gather more details. “Since he arrived in this country, the only thing he’s done is follow the rules of this country and do things properly,” Daniela Pirela told the The Associated Press. Oswaldo Pirela, a catching coach in the Padres’ minor league system, was being held in a detention center in El Paso, federal records show. The Padres have a minor league affiliate team in the city, the El Paso Chihuahuas. Oswaldo Pirela had a brief minor-league playing career as a catcher in the Texas Rangers organization.
