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Padres prospect pleads guilty to charge of transporting undocumented immigrants within United States
TL;DR
Padres prospect Humberto Cruz pleaded guilty to transporting undocumented immigrants, facing likely deportation. He has lost his work visa for 10 years, impacting his baseball career.
Key points
- Humberto Cruz pleaded guilty to transporting undocumented immigrants
- He faces likely deportation as a non-U.S. citizen
- Cruz has lost his work visa for 10 years
- He was ranked as the Padres' fifth-best prospect
- Cruz signed for $750,000 in February 2024
Humberto CruzSan Diego Padres
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Padres minor-league pitcher Humberto Cruz has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of receiving money in exchange for transporting undocumented immigrants within the United States, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
In a plea agreement, Cruz said that it's a "virtual certainty" that he'll be deported as a non-U.S. citizen due to this case. Per the Union-Tribune, "it is the Padres' understanding" that Cruz has lost his work visa for 10 years, though it's possible he could reapply in five years. The team placed him on the restricted list on March 13.
Cruz, 19, was ranked as the Padres' fifth-best prospect heading into this season by MLB.com but is now facing a situation that could end his baseball career. He signed for $750,000 in February of 2024 out of Mexico and has undergone Tommy John surgery. In his limited time in the minors, he's pitched to a 7.20 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 40 innings.
Cruz was arrested Oct. 28 in Arizona near the border with Mexico after, per the report, Border Patrol agents noticed his car heading toward the border with just the driver and then, shortly after, heading back from the border with two extra passengers.
From the San Diego Union-Tribune:
Suspecting that the driver might be transporting undocumented immigrants, Border Patrol agents conducted a traffic stop and soon determined Cruz's two passengers were Mexican citizens in the U.S. without documentation. One of the men in the SUV had been removed from the U.S. through an Arizona border crossing by immigration officials just four days earlier, according to the court document.
Cruz waived his Miranda rights and agreed to speak with the agents, telling them that he responded to a social media advertisement offering "easy money" for driving people, according to the complaint. According to the complaint, he told the agents he knew "they were illegal" and expected to be paid $1,000 for every person he picked up and transported.
Q&A
What charge did Padres prospect Humberto Cruz plead guilty to?
Humberto Cruz pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of receiving money for transporting undocumented immigrants within the United States.
What are the consequences of Humberto Cruz's guilty plea?
Cruz is likely to be deported as a non-U.S. citizen and has lost his work visa for 10 years, which could end his baseball career.
How has Humberto Cruz's performance been in the minors?
In his limited time in the minors, Cruz has pitched to a 7.20 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 40 innings.
What was Humberto Cruz's signing bonus and background?
Cruz signed for $750,000 in February 2024 out of Mexico and was ranked as the Padres' fifth-best prospect before his legal issues.
