A man from El Salvador, who has been an immigration fugitive since 1998, was arrested last week while illegally carrying a loaded handgun.
Jorge Zavala-Yanes, 43, was arrested outside his place of employment in Aurora, where he worked as a security guard, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Zavala illegally possessed a loaded Glock 27 .40-caliber handgun at the time of his arrest.
Zavala is a citizen of El Salvador who illegally entered the United States in February 1997, the department said in a news release. An immigration judge in San Bernardino, Calif., granted Zavala a voluntary departure order in May 1998.
The voluntary departure allows aliens to return to their home countries without a deportation on their record. However, Zavala failed to depart the U.S. as required, and a final order of removal order was issued June 1, 1998. He has been an ICE fugitive since then.
Zavala, who has a criminal convictions in California from 1996, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) and the Aurora Police Department.
