Humberto Cruz, from MLB pitching prospect to migrant smuggler

The future of Humberto Cruz, one of the San Diego Padres’ top pitching prospects, has become clouded in a matter of months. In November, he pleaded guilty to participating in a human smuggling operation in Arizona and then self-deported to his native Mexico, putting his budding Major League Baseball career on hold. His case is the latest to highlight the complex operations of human smuggling networks, operated by so-called coyotes, which in recent years have been shown to recruit all kinds of people — youngsters, mothers, military personnel, and even the son of a popular singer — to circumvent increasingly stringent border security controls.

Cruz is Mexican and 19 years old. Scouts for the Padres saw him play in Monterrey more than two years ago and offered him a dream contract of $750,000 in February 2024. Later, the team ranked him fifth in their prospect rankings. But by August of last year he still hadn’t made his debut, and after an elbow injury and surgery, he was expected to miss the current season, which runs from March to September.

But starting in the fall of last year, another issue had his chances of taking the mound in the Major Leagues hanging in the balance: a criminal accusation for receiving money in exchange for transporting undocumented immigrants in southern Arizona, a region where a high number of unauthorized border crossings are recorded.

Cruz was arrested on October 28 in Lukeville, Arizona. Border Patrol agents patrolling a local highway observed Cruz traveling south alone in a BMW SUV. A short time later, they saw the same vehicle heading north with two passengers. The agents found it suspicious and pulled it over. Inside the vehicle, they found two undocumented Mexican immigrants, one of whom had been deported four days earlier, according to the indictment.

During an interview with the agents, the pitcher claimed he had responded to a social media ad offering “easy money” for transporting people. He confessed, however, that he knew beforehand he would be picking up undocumented immigrants and that he would be paid $1,000 for each one. When asked why he had done it, he replied, “I needed extra money.”

In November, Cruz signed a plea agreement for a misdemeanor charge of accepting money to transport undocumented immigrants, leading prosecutors to drop a federal charge that could have resulted in up to 10 years in prison. While awaiting sentencing, which would determine the future of his fledgling professional career, the pitcher decided to self-deport to his native Mexico, and his work visa has been canceled, according to The New York Times.

“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,” Cruz said in a statement released through the San Diego Padres in recent days.

“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,” the message added. It is unclear, however, what his future holds. Initially, it appears he remains under contract with the Padres, although, under administrative sanction from the team, he is not receiving a salary and cannot participate in official activities.

The new profile of coyotes

Cruz’s story is similar to that of many others who have become involved in migrant smuggling at the border. In 2017, Emiliano Aguilar, son of Mexican singer Pepe Aguilar, was arrested at a border crossing in San Diego, California, when he tried to smuggle four Chinese citizens hidden in the trunk of a car. He spent time in jail and was eventually released.

Authorities have also discovered that human smuggling networks recruit high school students, mothers, Uber drivers, and military personnel in an attempt to avoid detection by customs agents. The criminal organizations’ logic is to exploit profiles that arouse less suspicion. They offer quick payments, short distances to cover, and the guarantee that everything will go smoothly, but those who are apprehended end up facing harsh sentences and exorbitant legal defense costs.

One of the most scandalous cases occurred in November 2018, just as President Donald Trump, during his first term, ordered the deployment of National Guard troops to the border due to the arrival of large numbers of Central Americans in Tijuana. At that time, the Border Patrol arrested one of its own officers in San Diego, who had joined the surveillance efforts in the area. The officer, Edward Jair Acosta-Avila, was hiding three Mexicans in the back seat of his Honda Accord, under a blanket. He had been promised $400 for each of them. They were charged $7,000 for the crossing.

Amid the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policies, border arrests have plummeted in recent months. From October to March, border agents made 184,000 apprehensions along the border with Mexico, one of the lowest figures seen in recent times by Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Fiscal year 2025 saw 690,000 apprehensions, a 78% drop from the 3.2 million arrests recorded in 2023, during the Biden administration.

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