Overview
- Cruz has returned to Mexico under his plea agreement, with reports describing a U.S. work-visa bar of up to 10 years and a possible reapply window after five.
- Border Patrol agents arrested the 19-year-old on October 28, 2025 near Lukeville, Arizona after he answered a social-media ad offering about $1,000 per passenger.
- The plea reduced a felony to a misdemeanor and carried a 30-day sentence with credit for time served.
- The Padres placed him on the minor-league restricted list, a status that typically cuts pay and blocks access to team facilities while a player is unavailable to report.
- A $750,000 signing in February 2024 made him a top-five Padres prospect, though a September 2025 elbow surgery had already sidelined him for the 2026 season.