San Francisco Giants Star Detained by Immigration Officials Over ‘Paperwork Issue,’ Later Released

FILE – A customs agent wears a patch for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, Oct. 27, 2017, at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, file)

San Franciso Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee was detained by immigration officials shortly after he arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday.

Lee — who was born in Japan to South Korean parents — was in the U.S. for a team event in San Ramon. Upon arrival, however, he was taken into custody by Customs and Border Protection agents. In a statement obtained by The Independent, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi revealed the issue stemmed from Lee forgetting documents back home in South Korea.

The report continued:

“Our office is actively working with the Giants organization, our Congressional partners and federal liaisons to resolve this situation and secure Mr. Lee’s release expeditiously,” the two-time former House speaker said.

Lee was later released, the Giants said, after his “brief travel issue at LAX due to a paperwork issue.”

In a report from the San Francisco Chronicle, Scott Boras — Lee’s agent — clarified that it was “not anything political or anything like that.” He also told the outlet prior to Lee’s release that the 27-year-old “just forgot one of the documents.”

At the time of writing, Lee had not made a statement on the matter. In late 2023, Lee signed a six-year, $113 million dollar contract with the Giants. Prior to his career in the MLB, he was a two-time MVP and five-time All-Star in the KBO — South Korea’s top baseball league.

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