Ecuadorian National Deported after Child Sex Assault Conviction Admits Illegally Reentering U.S.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CARLOS CABRERA-ZARUMA, 45, a citizen of Ecuador, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to unlawful reentry of a removed alien.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Cabrera-Zaruma illegally entered the U.S. from Mexico in 2000. In 2008, he was convicted and sentenced in Connecticut Superior Court of sexual assault in the second degree against a victim under the age of 16, and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He was deported to Ecuador in September 2010. Cabrera-Zaruma subsequently unlawfully reentered the U.S. and returned to Connecticut. On September 6, 2025, he was arrested in Danbury and charged with motor vehicle violations.

Cabrera-Zaruma has been detained since his federal arrest on October 7, 2025. He is scheduled to be sentenced in Hartford on June 29. The offense carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

This matter is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice 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.