SAN DIEGO – San Diego Padres minor league catching coordinator Oswaldo José Pirela was detained by immigration authorities in El Paso, Texas, and remained in custody, according to ICE detainee and family records. His sister Daniela Pirela said in a phone interview that her brother, who grew up in Venezuela, was detained at El Paso International Airport around 5 a.m. Sunday while traveling for work, which she said he does weekly for the Padres. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainee records showed Pirela in custody Monday night. In a statement early Tuesday, the Padres said they had recently learned of Pirelas’ arrest. “We are working to gather additional information and will not be commenting further at this time,” the team said. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Pirelas entered the country legally on Sept. 10, 2014, and was given permission to stay until Feb. 10, 2018. “In violation of our nation’s laws, he overstayed his welcome. When approached by law enforcement officials, he was not in possession of legal documentation granting him status in the country,” the team said. the spokesperson said in a statement. “He will remain in ICE custody pending deportation proceedings and will receive due process.” In a statement Wednesday, Pirela’s family disputed Homeland Security’s claims. “Oswaldo legally entered the United States on a tourist visa and subsequently filed an asylum application. Since then, he has been involved in the immigration process and has obtained work permits related to that process,” the family wrote in a statement, translated from Spanish. “We consider it especially important to clarify the reference to the year 2018. Oswaldo’s tourist visa had an expiration date in 2018. However, the expiration date of a visa stamped in a passport does not determine, by itself, how long a person was authorized to remain in the United States, nor does it prove that he or she has been without any immigration procedures since that date.” illegally in the United States since 2018, especially given the records related to his asylum application and employment authorizations.” Major League Baseball did not respond to a request for comment from NBC News. Daniela Pirela said she spoke briefly with her brother, but that he is not really aware of the conditions he is living in while detained. “He is a very strong person and tries not to worry us,” she said. “He is going to say that he is fine. That’s what he said.” She said her brother is legally in the United States and applied for asylum in 2014, when he first arrived in the country. Daniela Pirela said she doesn’t know why his asylum case has taken so long to process. “He did everything legally as the United States asks,” she said. “He loves this country.” Oswaldo Pirela. Courtesy of the Pirela family Oswaldo Pirela has two daughters born in the United States and lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona, members of the “Oswaldo, like me and other members of our family, were directly affected by the persecution of the Venezuelan regime,” said brother Jorge Heli Pirela on Instagram. called Oswaldo “a devoted father, a dedicated coach, an exceptional worker and someone who has earned the respect of his co-workers, former coaches, players and the communities he has been a part of.” Daniela Pirela said she believes her brother was targeted because of his active asylum case. “There is no reason they have not told us yet.” intervene U.S. Rep. Abraham Hamadeh, D-Ariz., who represents Pirela’s home district. A spokesperson for the congressman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Family members are awaiting his release and “due process,” his brother said. Daniela Pirela said the family is seeking a lawyer to help them free him. Also speaking on Instagram, Pirela’s mother, Naivy Dominguez, said, “He is being unjustly detained, even though his legal history in this country can be documented.” He asked his followers to “speak up” and “tell the world who he really is.” Dominguez did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Pirela was signed by the Texas Rangers in 2009 and remained with the organization for three years, playing multiple positions for the Dominican Summer League Rangers in the minors, according to Major League Baseball records. His mother said his family members are awaiting his return to Arizona. for his father to return home,” he said. “His family is waiting for him. “His community supports him.”
