San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee expected a simple airport arrival. Instead, witnesses say the 27-year-old walked straight into a scene that “looked like something out of a movie,” as Customs and Border Protection officers abruptly detained the rising baseball star over missing travel documents.
Lee had barely cleared the jet bridge Wednesday when CBP officers stopped him and escorted him into a holding area, according to eyewitnesses. Travelers who recognized the outfielder said they were stunned.
“It happened out of nowhere,” said an airline employee who saw the encounter. “One second he was walking, the next he was surrounded. People were whispering his name. No one knew what was going on.”
The issue: paperwork Lee had accidentally left behind in South Korea.
A simple oversight — but one that escalated fast.
Within minutes, word of Lee’s detainment reached former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. According to sources involved in the scramble, Pelosi’s office treated the incident like an emergency.
Phones lit up. Aides contacted CBP supervisors, the Giants front office, and federal liaisons to clarify the situation. One source described it as “a rapid, coordinated push” to get Lee released before the incident spiraled further.
Pelosi later confirmed her involvement in a statement, saying her office was “actively engaged to resolve this situation and secure Mr. Lee’s release as quickly as possible.”
Hours later, the Giants announced that Lee had been released after a “brief travel issue at LAX due to a paperwork error.”
But individuals familiar with the situation say “brief” barely captures the tension.
“It wasn’t aggressive, but it was serious,” said a witness. “You could feel the pressure in the room. They treated it like a major incident.”
Lee’s agent, Scott Boras, downplayed the drama. “It was simply a documentation matter,” he told the San Francisco Chronicle. But even fans weren’t convinced — noting that paperwork mistakes rarely trigger high-level intervention.
Lee, nicknamed “Grandson of the Wind” in homage to his legendary father Jong Beom Lee, has become one of MLB’s most closely watched international talents. His $113 million contract with the Giants made headlines across the sports world.
He was headed to Northern California for a series of FanFest events when his trip suddenly turned into a national story.
A source close to the team described the ordeal this way:
“It shows how fast your entire day can flip upside down. One missing document and suddenly a star player is sitting in a room at LAX waiting for clearance. It could happen to anyone.”
Lee is now expected to continue with his scheduled appearances and will report to spring training in early February.
But his unexpected brush with federal officers — and Pelosi’s emergency intervention — has already become one of the most startling off-field stories of the MLB preseason.
Well they were doing their job. You don’t have proper papers then you get questioned whether a baseball player or not. Rules are for everyone except Democrats and their perception of what the law should be for them.
The Democrats will act like they beat him with a rubber hose. Like they’re supposed to recognize him.