A Guatemalan national and convicted sex offender who illegally returned to the United States after deportation was taken into custody in Maine last month, even as some Maine lawmakers continue pushing legislation that would limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Esteban Chavez-Gonzalez, 35, was arrested on October 30 in Gray by the Maine Violent Offender Task Force on a federal warrant for unlawful reentry. He was extradited to Massachusetts and later released on a $10,000 unsecured bond after an initial appearance in federal court on November 6.
Federal charging documents state Chavez-Gonzalez was deported in 2013 but unlawfully reentered the country. In 2020, he was arrested for a sexual assault in Massachusetts and later convicted in 2022. He is classified as a Level 2 registered sex offender.
Investigators in the U.S. Marshals District of Massachusetts developed leads indicating Chavez-Gonzalez had relocated to Maine. Acting on that information, the task force located him at a residence in Gray. He is expected to appear in federal court in Maine before being returned to Massachusetts.
If convicted of unlawful reentry, Chavez-Gonzalez faces up to two years in prison, a year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. He would again be subject to deportation after serving any sentence.
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The arrest underscores the growing tension in Maine over whether local police and sheriffs should work with federal immigration authorities. Progressive lawmakers and activist groups have spent the past year pressuring Gov. Janet Mills to sign legislation restricting cooperation between local law enforcement and agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Supporters claim the measures are intended to protect immigrant communities.
Law enforcement officials and critics of the proposed limits say cases like Chavez-Gonzalez highlight the risks of restricting information-sharing and cooperation. They argue that fugitives, including convicted sex offenders and individuals wanted on federal warrants, often cross state lines and require coordinated federal-local efforts to locate and arrest them.
Despite those concerns, legislation that would curtail cooperation with ICE has gained traction among Democratic lawmakers in Augusta. Opponents warn that such restrictions could hinder efforts to remove dangerous offenders from Maine communities.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley, chief of the office’s Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit.
