Humberto Cruz, a highly regarded pitching prospect for the San Diego Padres, has pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor tied to a human smuggling operation in southern Arizona, according to court documents obtained by The Athletic. The plea, entered in November, came four months before Cruz was placed on the minor-league restricted list, effectively resolving the criminal case against him and nearly guaranteeing his removal from the United States under the terms of the agreement.
Sources with knowledge of the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the legal proceedings, confirmed that Cruz, now 19, voluntarily returned to his native Mexico. The individual named in the federal case—Humberto Federico Cruz-Guajardo—is the same right-handed pitcher signed by the Padres out of Monterrey, Mexico, in February 2024 for a $750,000 signing bonus. Despite undergoing elbow surgery in September and already expected to miss the 2026 season, Cruz remains ranked among the organization’s top five prospects by several publications.
Cruz’s legal representatives in the federal case, as well as his agents at the Ballengee Group, declined to comment. Cruz pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to improper entry. He issued a statement through the Padres, who also declined further 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 on October 29 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, around the morning of October 28, Border Patrol agents observed a brown 2020 BMW SUV with Mexican license plates traveling south on State Route 85 near Lukeville, Arizona, with only one male occupant inside. Approximately an hour later, agents spotted the same BMW heading north near mile-marker 77 with multiple occupants, which raised suspicion because they believed the vehicle would not have had enough time to reach the Lukeville Port of Entry to pick up passengers. The complaint states that agents stopped the vehicle near mile-marker 58.
The driver, identified in the complaint as Cruz, was a Mexican citizen who had legally entered the United States through Phoenix on a visa, according to the document. The two passengers were Mexican citizens who had entered the country illegally, the complaint said; one had been deported four days earlier via Nogales, Arizona.
After waiving his Miranda rights, Cruz told agents he had responded to a social media advertisement seeking drivers “to pick up people for easy money,” according to the complaint. He stated he was offered $1,000 for each person transported and was directed to pickup locations through pin drops sent to his phone by an unknown contact. He had already completed one prior trip.