Padres prospect, 19, pleads guilty to transporting undocumented immigrants
Pitcher Humberto Cruz, the Padres' No. 5 prospect before his arrest, self-deported to Mexico after plea deal, could lose work visa for 10 years.
San Diego Padres pitching prospect Humberto Cruz has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of transporting undocumented immigrants. The San Diego Union Tribune reports the 19-year-old pitcher was arrested by Border Patrol officers on Oct. 28 last year near the town of Lukeville, Arizona.
According to the complaint, Cruz told agents he responded to a social media ad offering "easy money" for driving people entering the U. S. and that he expected to be paid $1,000 per person.
He was originally charged with a felony, but had that charge reduced when he pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge in November. As part of his plea deal, Cruz agreed to self-deport to Mexico and will reportedly be ineligible to receive a work visa for 10 years − though he would be eligible to reapply after five years if he shows good behavior. Cruz, the Padres' No.
5 prospect before his arrest according to MLB Pipeline, was placed on the restricted list in March. He had been recovering from Tommy John surgery last August at the Padres' spring training facility in Peoria, Arizona, at the time of his arrest. He released a lengthy statement through the Padres, apologizing for "a recent lapse in judgment that has caused disappointment to many people I deeply respect.