U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with federal partners from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, arrested an illegally present Ecuadoran national charged with more than 20 counts of sex crimes against a minor.
Officers with ICE Boston and agents from DEA New England and ATF Boston arrested Gilberto Avila-Jara, 64, in Lawrence on April 1.
Avila illegally entered the United States near San Ysidro, California, on February 10, 1996, without being inspected, admitted, or paroled by a U.S. immigration official.
Officers with the Immigration and Naturalization Service apprehended Avila on March 2, 1996, at Los Angeles International Airport.
On March 11, 1996, a Justice Department immigration judge ordered Avila to be removed from the United States and moved to Ecuador. INS removed Avila from the United States to Ecuador on July 2, 1996.
Avila illegally reentered the United States on an unknown date, at an unknown location and without being inspected, admitted or paroled by a U.S. immigration official.
The Lawrence District Court arraigned Avila on December 18, 2020, for more than 20 offenses including indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, rape of a child with force and aggravated statutory rape of a Child.
Later that day, ICE Boston lodged an immigration detainer against Avila with the Lawrence Police Department.
The Lawrence District Court refused to honor the ICE detainer and released Avila from custody on bail on March 17, 2021.
On April 22, 2021, the Essex County Superior Court arraigned Avila for six counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, eight counts of rape of a child with force and eight counts of aggravated statutory rape of a child.
