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 briefed on the situation, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive legal matter, 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 the following 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. To my teammates and coaches, I apologize for becoming a distraction and for not upholding the level of professionalism you deserve. To the fans, I am sorry for letting you down and for failing to meet the trust placed in me. …
“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.”
According to a criminal complaint filed Oct. 29 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, on the morning of Oct. 28 Border Patrol agents observed a brown 2020 BMW SUV with Mexican license plates traveling south on State Route 85 near Lukeville, Ariz., with one male occupant inside. About an hour later, the complaint said, agents noticed the same BMW traveling north near mile marker 77 with multiple occupants, arousing suspicion because they believed the vehicle would not have had enough time to reach the Lukeville Port of Entry to pick up passengers. Agents stopped the vehicle near mile marker 58, the complaint said.
The driver, identified in the complaint as Cruz, was a Mexican citizen who had legally entered the U.S. through Phoenix on a visa, the complaint said. The two passengers were Mexican citizens who had entered the country illegally, according to the complaint; one had been deported four days earlier through Nogales, Ariz.
After waiving his Miranda rights, the complaint said, Cruz told agents he had responded to a social media advertisement seeking drivers “to pick up people for easy money.” According to the complaint, Cruz said he was offered $1,000 for each person he transported, was directed to pickup locations through pin drops sent to his phone by an unknown contact, and had been told to drive to Tucson and then on to Phoenix. Cruz said after he picked the people up, he knew “they were illegal,” the complaint said.
Cruz was charged with one felony count of transportation of illegal aliens for profit and one misdemeanor count of accessory after the fact to improper entry. Under a plea agreement signed Nov. 13 and filed the following day, the government dismissed the felony charge — which, if proven, would have carried a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment — in exchange for a guilty plea to the misdemeanor and a 30-day sentence with credit for time served.
The plea agreement said Cruz understood that his guilty plea and conviction would make his removal or deportation from the U.S. “practically inevitable and a virtual certainty,” and that he wished to plead guilty regardless of any immigration consequences. Under the plea agreement, Cruz waived nearly all rights to appeal or seek modification of the sentence.
Cruz, who turned 17 the December before he signed with the Padres, made two appearances in the Arizona Complex League in 2024 and opened his 2025 season at the same level before being promoted to Low-A Lake Elsinore. In 16 games between the two affiliates, he had a 7.20 ERA while displaying what some scouts described to The Athletic’s Keith Law as mid-rotation upside. In February, months after Cruz underwent internal brace surgery on his right elbow, Law ranked him as the Padres’ No. 5 prospect.
Cruz was officially placed on the restricted list March 13, and he remains on it. A restricted-list designation typically suspends a player’s salary and bars him from using team facilities. A Major League Baseball spokesperson declined to comment.
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