Padres Prospect Pleads Guilty to Transporting Undocumented Immigrants Humberto Cruz, a 19-year-old minor-league pitcher for the San Diego Padres, has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of receiving money in exchange for transporting undocumented immigrants within the United States. The case, reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune, marks a significant setback for the Padres’ promising prospect, who was previously ranked as the team’s fifth-best player entering the 2024 season. Cruz’s plea agreement includes a statement acknowledging the “virtual certainty” of his deportation as a non-U.S. citizen, a consequence of his legal troubles. The Padres confirmed that Cruz has lost his work visa, which was valid for 10 years, though he may reapply after a five-year waiting period. The team placed him on the restricted list on March 13, effectively barring him from participating in team activities. Cruz, who signed with the Padres for $750,000 in February 2024 out of Mexico, has faced additional challenges, including undergoing Tommy John surgery and posting a 7.20 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 40 innings during his limited time in the minors. Cruz’s legal troubles began on October 28, 2024, when Border Patrol agents in Arizona stopped his vehicle near the U.S.-Mexico border. The agents suspected he was transporting undocumented immigrants after noticing his car initially heading toward the border with only the driver and later returning with two additional passengers. Upon inspection, the two passengers were identified as Mexican nationals without proper documentation. One of the men had been recently removed from the U.S. through an Arizona border crossing by immigration officials just four days prior, according to court documents.#san_diego_padres #border_patrol #tommy_john_surgery #humberto_cruz #san_diego_union_tribune
Top Padres Prospect Self-Deported to Mexico After Plea Related to Human Smuggling Humberto Cruz, one of the San Diego Padres’ top pitching prospects, pleaded guilty in November to a federal misdemeanor related to a human smuggling operation in southern Arizona, according to court documents reviewed by The Athletic. The plea, entered four months before Cruz was placed on the minor-league restricted list, resolved the criminal case against him and, under the terms of the agreement, made his removal from the United States all but certain. Sources confirmed that Cruz, 19, self-deported to his native Mexico and that the defendant in the federal case—Humberto Federico Cruz-Guajardo—is the right-handed pitcher the Padres signed out of Monterrey, Mexico, in February 2024 for a $750,000 bonus. Cruz, who had already been expected to miss the 2026 season after undergoing elbow surgery in September, remains ranked among the organization’s top five prospects by multiple publications. Cruz’s attorneys in the federal case and his agents at the Ballengee Group declined comment. Cruz, who pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to improper entry, issued a statement through the Padres, who otherwise declined comment: “To my teammates, the organization, our fans, and my family, I want to express my sincere regret for a recent lapse in judgment that has caused disappointment to many people I deeply respect. I understand that my actions have fallen short of the standards expected of me as a professional and as a representative of this organization. I take responsibility for my conduct and recognize the impact it has had on my teammates, the club, and those who support us.#san_diego_padres #monterrey_mexico #humberto_cruz #ballengee_group #us_distict_court_district_of_arizona
Padres Top Pitching Prospect Self-Deports to Mexico After Pleading Guilty to Human Smuggling Charge Humberto Cruz, a 19-year-old pitching prospect for the San Diego Padres, reportedly self-deported to Mexico after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge related to human smuggling in Arizona. According to reports, Cruz, who was in the U.S. on a work visa, admitted to picking up two undocumented immigrants in Arizona for $1,000 each. The case unfolded when agents noticed Cruz driving north on State Route 85 in Lukeville, Arizona, approximately an hour after initially spotting him driving south. This discrepancy raised suspicions that Cruz had picked up the individuals at the Lukeville Port of Entry, leading to his arrest. Cruz pleaded guilty to the charge of receiving money to transport noncitizens within the United States in November, as part of a plea deal that resulted in prosecutors dismissing a felony charge of transporting illegal aliens for profit. Under the agreement, Cruz was sentenced to 30 days in prison with credit for time served. The plea deal also included a stipulation that Cruz understood his deportation would be “practically inevitable and a virtual certainty.” The Padres confirmed that Cruz would likely lose his work visa for 10 years, though he could reapply after five years if he demonstrated good behavior. The Padres, who signed Cruz out of Monterrey, Mexico, for $750,000 in February 2024, placed him on the restricted list in March following the incident. Cruz underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2024 and had been rehabbing at the team’s spring training facility in Arizona in late October 2024 when he was arrested. In 14 starts in both rookie and A-ball leagues, Cruz pitched to a 7.58 ERA. MLB.#arizona #san_diego_padres #tommy_john_surgery #monterrey_mexico #humberto_cruz
