San Diego Padres pitching prospect Humberto Cruz pleaded guilty in November to a misdemeanor charge after admitting he received money to transport noncitizens within the United States, a case that now threatens his ability to keep playing in the country. Cruz, 19, was sentenced to 30 days in prison with credit for time served after prosecutors dropped a felony transportation-of-illegal-aliens-for-profit charge.
According to court records and reporting from The Athletic, Cruz was in the United States legally on a work visa when agents stopped him in Arizona. He was initially driving south on State Route 85 in Lukeville, Arizona, before agents later spotted him driving north about an hour later with two other passengers. The Athletic reported that the vehicle carried two immigrants in the country illegally.
Cruz told officials he had answered an advertisement seeking drivers to pick up people for easy money. He said he was offered $1,000 per person and knew the passengers were in the country illegally. The case moved quickly from arrest to plea because Cruz agreed in November to admit to the misdemeanor in exchange for the dismissal of the more serious felony charge.
The Padres told the San Diego Tribune that Cruz would likely lose his work visa for 10 years, though the team said he could reapply after five years if he shows good behavior. That makes the punishment more than a short jail term; it could pull a top pitching prospect out of the country for much of his development window, even as the organization tries to decide how to handle a player who has already become a public problem.
In a statement, Cruz said he felt sincere regret for a recent lapse in judgment that had caused disappointment to people he deeply respected. He said he understood that his conduct had fallen short of the standards expected of him, took responsibility for what he did and would cooperate fully with the organization and any steps required of him. According to, Cruz was reportedly self-deported to Mexico after the plea. The question now is not whether the case is over; it is whether Cruz can recover from the consequences long enough to resume a career that once made him one of the Padres’ most closely watched young arms.
