An international pitching prospect of the San Diego Padres has pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor charge related to transporting illegal immigrants inside the USA. Ranked fifth by the MLB Pipeline, the 19-year-old pleaded guilty in November 2025 after he was arrested in late October.

“In his plea agreement, Cruz acknowledged that as a non-U.S. citizen, it was a “virtual certainty” that he’d be deported,” reported the Tribune.

The San Diego Union Tribune reported that Humberto Cruz’s deportation from the US is certain under the plea agreement. The Padres also confirmed he will likely lose his U.S. work visa for 10 years. However, he can reapply after five years of good behavior. At the time of his arrest, he was living in Arizona to rehab at the Padres’ spring training facility following Tommy John surgery in August.

The incident happened on October 28 when Border Patrol agents spotted a brown BMW SUV traveling south toward the border town of Lukeville. An hour later, they pulled the same vehicle over as it headed north. They stopped the SUV after suspecting it did not have enough time to reach Lukeville Port of Entry.

The complaint revealed that the driver was identified as Cruz, and the two passengers were undocumented Mexican citizens. One of the passengers was found to have been deported four days earlier through Nogales, Arizona.

Following his arrest, Cruz waived his Miranda rights and spoke to the agents. He told them that he had responded to an “easy money” advertisement on social media, which offered him $1000 per pickup. The Padres’ prospect further revealed that an unknown contact sent him pickup locations via pin drops. The complaint stated he was directed to drive to Tucson and Phoenix. Cruz reportedly knew his passengers were in the country illegally.

Before the arrest, the Padres had high hopes for the prospect. Cruz made his first minor league appearance in the Arizona Complex League in 2024. Across two outings, he pitched two innings that season. Before he underwent surgery, Cruz opened the 2025 season at the same level before he moved to Low-A Lake Elsinore. In his 14 starts last season, Cruz logged a 7.58 ERA in 38 innings. He displayed 8.29 strikeouts per 9 innings last season.

The 19-year-old right-hander originally faced two charges. The most serious was a felony for transporting illegal immigrants for profit. That charge carried a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. He also faced a misdemeanor charge for being an accessory after the fact. To avoid a long prison sentence, Cruz accepted a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to the lesser misdemeanor charge. In return, prosecutors dropped the felony. In November, a federal judge in Arizona sentenced him to 30 days in prison.

As Cruz reportedly faces a non-criminal immigration case, he has released a statement through the Padres.

Padres’ top prospect Humberto Cruz’s statement

Four months after Humberto Cruz pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge, the San Diego Padres placed him on the minor league restricted list in March. Cruz has also reportedly self-deported to Mexico.

Cruz recently released a public statement to address the situation. He apologized to his teammates, fans, family, and the franchise. In the statement, Cruz expressed regret for what he dubbed a “recent lapse in judgment.” He also apologized for his lack of professionalism and for becoming a “distraction.”

The statement further read, “I am committed to reflecting on this moment, learning from it, and taking the appropriate steps to move forward in a positive and responsible manner. I will cooperate fully with the organization and any steps required of me. … Thank you to everyone who has reached out with support and honesty. I understand that trust must be earned, and I am prepared to do that through my actions going forward.”

The Padres have declined to comment on the situation. Being on the restricted list usually means the player’s salary is suspended and the player is not permitted to use team facilities. The Padres signed Cruz in 2024 for a $750,000 bonus from Monterrey, Mexico.

It is now up to Homeland Security to decide what immigration consequences Cruz will continue to face.