David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced on Mar. 19 that Jose Raul Maita, a 55-year-old citizen of Ecuador, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with unlawful reentry of a removed alien.
The case highlights ongoing efforts to address illegal reentry into the United States by individuals previously deported for serious offenses. According to court documents, Maita was granted legal permanent resident status in June 1996 based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen. In February 1998, he was convicted in Westchester County Court in New York of first-degree sexual abuse involving forcible compulsion against a nine-year-old victim. He received five years of probation and was required to register as a sex offender.
Maita's subsequent convictions included failure to register as a sex offender in November 2000 and driving while intoxicated in August 2001, which led to the revocation of his probation and one year of incarceration. He was deported to Ecuador in October 2003 but later illegally reentered the U.S., where he faced further convictions for operating a motor vehicle under the influence and again failing to register as a sex offender. In April 2008, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested him, and he was convicted of unlawful reentry later that year before being removed again in August 2009.
Authorities allege that on September 20, 2025, Maita—using an alias—was arrested by Connecticut State Police in Southbury for operating a motor vehicle without a license and while under the influence of alcohol and drugs. He was released on bond but subsequently charged with unlawful reentry by the U.S. District Court in New Haven on November 4, 2025. Maita was located and arrested in Waterbury on Mar. 19.
Maita appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and was ordered detained pending further proceedings. If convicted of unlawful reentry, he faces up to twenty years imprisonment.
"A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt," Sullivan said. "Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt." The investigation is being conducted by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, described as an initiative using Department of Justice resources to address illegal immigration and related crimes.
