ICE Arrests Jose Maldonado Zavala in Harris County
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has taken into custody 60-year-old Jose Maldonado Zavala at the Harris County Jail. Zavala was previously deported from Honduras after facing allegations of sexually assaulting a woman in the Hughson area.
On July 2, Zavala allegedly claimed that the victim’s air conditioning had leaked into his apartment in Houston. According to arrest records, he then forcefully grabbed the woman by her arm and dragged her into his home, where he is said to have sexually assaulted her.
After the incident, the victim managed to escape and reported the assault to law enforcement. She was assisted by a passing friend who drove her to safety. Following the report, the Pasadena Police issued a warrant for Zavala’s arrest, which was executed on July 28.
DHS Deputy Director Tricia McLaughlin commented on Zavala’s case, stating in a written statement, “There should never have been any illegal alien in our country like this dangerous individual.” She further noted, “This monster was deported in 2011. Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem, we now maintain the safest borders in history and are preventing these criminals from invading our country.”
Zavala was initially deported to Honduras in 2011 for illegally entering the United States near Hidalgo, Texas. He later re-entered the country illegally, but the specific dates and locations remain unclear.
ICE processes require that law enforcement be notified as soon as possible before the release of detained aliens. They must maintain custody for up to 48 hours to facilitate the transfer to ICE for deportation purposes.
In contrast to sanctuary policies in other states, Texas law mandates compliance with ICE requests. SB 4, enacted in 2017, prohibits sanctuary city policies and requires local law enforcement to adhere to ICE detainers.
In July, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed SB8, which obligates all Texas counties to cooperate with the ICE 287(g) program. As of May 23, 85 Texas counties have reportedly signed agreements with ICE.
