The San Diego Padres minor-league coach detained by ICE will remain in custody over allegations he “overstayed his welcome” in the United States, federal authorities announced Tuesday.
Venezuelan native Oswaldo Jose Pirela — the Padres’ minor-league catching coordinator — “was granted permission by the Obama Administration to remain in our nation until February 10, 2018,” but was taken into custody after he violated US law by overstaying “his welcome by more than 8 YEARS,” the Department of Homeland Security said In a post on X.
“NOBODY is above the law,” DHS officials wrote in the post, “and he will remain in ICE custody pending removal.”
A DHS spokesperson added in a statement to NBC News that Pirela, who legally entered the US in 2014, did not have “legal documentation granting him status in the country” when he was approached by immigration authorities in El Paso, Texas over the weekend.
Pirela’s sister, Daniela, told the outlet her brother had been at El Paso International Airport traveling for work when he was taken into custody.
She also said she was able to have some brief contact with him, but did not know what conditions he was facing while in detention.
“He’s a very strong person and he tries not to worry us,” she said. “He’s going to say he’s OK. That’s what he said.”
The Padres said in a statement on Tuesday they were “aware” of Pirela’s situation and were “working to gather additional information,” though they offered no further comment.
Pirela, a 34-year-old father of two who played in the Texas Rangers’ minor-league system form 2009-11, joined the Padres’ organization in 2024, working closely with the team’s Triple-A affiliate, the El Paso Chihuahuas.
