Carlos Cabrera-Zaruma, a 45-year-old citizen of Ecuador, pleaded guilty on Apr. 2 in New Haven federal court to unlawful reentry of a removed alien, according to David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Cabrera-Zaruma's case highlights ongoing concerns about illegal reentry by individuals previously deported from the United States following criminal convictions. Authorities say these cases are part of broader efforts to address illegal immigration and protect communities from repeat offenders.
Court documents show that Cabrera-Zaruma first entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico in 2000. In 2008, he was convicted in Connecticut Superior Court for sexual assault in the second degree against a victim under age 16 and for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He was deported to Ecuador in September 2010 but later returned unlawfully and settled again in Connecticut. He was arrested on Sept. 6, 2025, in Danbury on motor vehicle charges.
Since his federal arrest on Oct. 7, 2025, Cabrera-Zaruma has been detained while awaiting sentencing scheduled for June 29 in Hartford. The charge carries a maximum penalty of up to twenty years imprisonment.
The investigation is being conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations, with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative described as marshaling Department of Justice resources "to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime."
