El Paso, TX (KKOB) – A San Diego Padres minor league coach is being held by federal immigration authorities after being detained in El Paso over the weekend.
According to ICE detainee records, Oswaldo José Pirela, the Padres’ minor league catching coordinator, was taken into custody Sunday at El Paso International Airport while traveling for work with the Padres organization and the El Paso Chihuahuas.
In a statement, the Padres said they are aware of the situation and are working to gather additional information. Pirela’s sister told NBC News that he is a native of Venezuela who sought asylum in the United States in 2014 and is living in the country legally. Family members say they have not been told why he was detained.
According to relatives, Pirela lives in Arizona and is the father of two U.S.-born daughters.
