A member of the San Diego Padres organization remains detained in Texas following an encounter with federal immigration authorities at El Paso International Airport early Sunday. Pirela was preparing to fly home to his family in Arizona after traveling for his player-development duties when he was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol and subsequently placed in ICE custody.
The Padres' Triple-A affiliate, the El Paso Chihuahuas, is based in the Texas border city, and Pirela regularly travels as part of his work. The organization's staff directory identifies him as Coordinator, Catching within player development. Federal detainee records have continued to list him in custody at the El Paso Processing Center.
"We recently became aware of the detainment of minor league catching coordinator Oswaldo Pirela in El Paso, Texas," the Padres said in a statement. "We are working to gather additional information and will not have any further comment at this time."
Federal authorities have now publicly explained their position on why Pirela was detained.
In a statement posted by the Department of Homeland Security, officials said Pirela legally entered the United States from Venezuela on September 10, 2014, and was authorized to remain until February 10, 2018. DHS alleges he remained in the country beyond that period and did not possess documentation establishing lawful immigration status when approached by federal officers.
"This Venezuelan illegal alien, Oswaldo Jose Pirela Dominguez, was granted permission by the Obama Administration to remain in our nation until February 10, 2018," DHS stated. "In violation of our nation's laws, he overstayed his welcome by more than 8 YEARS."
DHS said Pirela will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and emphasized that a work permit or pending immigration application does not itself confer lawful immigration status.
That explanation is now being directly challenged by Pirela's family.
In a statement issued Wednesday, relatives acknowledged that Pirela originally entered the country on a tourist visa but said he subsequently applied for asylum and has remained engaged in the immigration process while receiving employment authorization connected to that proceeding.
"Oswaldo legally entered the United States on a tourist visa and subsequently filed an asylum application," the family said. "Since then, he has been involved in the immigration process and has obtained work permits related to that process."
The family also disputed the significance DHS placed on the February 2018 date, arguing that the expiration of a visa does not necessarily establish when a person ceased being authorized to remain in the country, particularly when subsequent immigration proceedings are pending.
"For this reason, we request that DHS clarify specifically which document, immigration decision, or record it is using to assert that Oswaldo was illegally in the United States since 2018, especially given the records related to his asylum application and employment authorizations," the family stated.
The distinction is important. Employment authorization permits a person to work legally in the United States but does not, by itself, establish lawful immigration status. At the same time, Pirela's family maintains that his immigration history cannot be reduced simply to the expiration date cited by DHS because he subsequently entered the asylum process and has continued receiving work permits.
Pirela's sister Daniela has said her brother sought asylum after arriving in 2014 because of persecution in Venezuela and has spent years waiting for his case to be resolved.
"He did everything lawfully as the U.S. asks," she previously told NBC News. "He loves this country."
His brother Jorge has similarly said members of their family fled persecution by the Venezuelan government and pursued asylum after coming to the United States.
"Oswaldo, like me and other members of our family, was directly affected by persecution from the Venezuelan regime," Jorge wrote publicly. "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."
Pirela's mother, Naivy Dominguez, has also publicly appealed for his release, describing him as unjustly detained and saying his immigration history can be documented.
The 34-year-old is married and has two daughters who were born in the United States. His wife, Kemberly Avila, has said the Padres are assisting the family. Relatives describe Pirela as a deeply involved father whose daughters regularly accompany him to baseball fields.
"He is dedicated, loving, their best days together are going to the field to help Dad and play with him," Avila said in comments shared publicly.
The story has drawn considerable attention from Padres fans and beyond, with supporters questioning whether the organization or Major League Baseball will intervene. MLB has not publicly announced any action in Pirela's case.
FACT CHECK: This Venezuelan illegal alien, Oswaldo Jose Pirela Dominguez, was granted permission by the Obama Administration to remain in our nation until February 10, 2018. In violation of our nation’s laws, he overstayed his welcome by more than 8 YEARS.
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) August 18, 2026
NOBODY is above the… https://t.co/gmaNyC8Ktq
Pirela's baseball background has also occasionally been misstated in social media coverage. Although he was signed by the Texas Rangers organization as a teenager in 2009, he never played in Major League Baseball. He spent three seasons in the Dominican Summer League, primarily as a catcher and first baseman, appearing in 79 games before being released in 2012.
He later transitioned into coaching and joined the Padres organization in 2024. He now works throughout the team's minor league system developing catchers rather than serving on the Major League coaching staff.
The circumstances of his detention are nevertheless unusual because Pirela was not attempting to cross an international border when he was detained. According to his family, he was at El Paso International Airport preparing for a domestic flight home after completing work for the Padres organization.
DHS says Border Patrol arrested him because he had remained beyond the period he was authorized to stay and could not produce documentation establishing current lawful status. His family counters that he has an active asylum case and a documented history of employment authorization and is demanding that the government identify the specific immigration record supporting its assertion that he has been unlawfully present since 2018.
The government's statement also makes clear that Pirela is now facing removal proceedings rather than simply being temporarily held while authorities verify documents.
There has been no allegation that Pirela committed a separate criminal offense. Immigration violations and removal proceedings are civil matters, and noncitizens can be detained by federal immigration authorities without being accused or convicted of a crime.
For his family, however, the increasingly public disagreement over immigration terminology is secondary to getting him home.
Daniela Pirela said she has been able to speak briefly with her brother since his detention but knows little about his current conditions.
"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."
Relatives have publicly sought assistance from elected officials and are pursuing legal help while asking that Pirela receive due process and an opportunity to present his immigration case.
"Anyone who knows Oswaldo knows the kind of person he is," his brother wrote. "He is 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."
The Padres have so far stopped short of publicly criticizing federal immigration authorities or detailing what assistance they are providing, saying only that the organization is gathering information.
What began as a detention whose legal basis was initially unclear has now become a direct dispute between the federal government and Pirela's family over his immigration history. DHS maintains that his authorization to remain in the United States expired in February 2018 and says he will remain detained pending removal. His family says that characterization omits years of asylum proceedings and work authorization and is asking the government to substantiate its claim.
Pirela remains in federal custody while his wife, daughters and relatives await the next stage of the immigration proceedings.
SanDiegoVille has reached out to the San Diego Padres, Major League Baseball and federal immigration authorities seeking additional information regarding Pirela's detention, removal proceedings and immigration history.
This story will be updated as additional information becomes available.
Originally published on August 18, 2026. Updated on August 19.
