Tribune staff reports

A Seymour man faces potential deportation to Guatemala after his arrest Tuesday.

Juan Francisco Gaspar, 40, initially was stopped for a traffic violation on State Road 11 north of Seymour by Jackson County Sheriff’s Department Reserve Officer Scott Davis.

Davis said he then learned Gaspar hadn’t ever been issued a driver’s license in the United States, its territories or Canada.

Gaspar was arrested for operating a motor vehicle while never having received a license, a Class C misdemeanor, and transported to the Jackson County Jail in Brownstown.

At the jail, further investigation found that Gaspar was wanted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for having already been convicted for a “significant misdemeanor” by that agency, Davis said.

The immigration detainer from the Department of Homeland Security said a probable cause existed because Gaspar is a “removable alien,” which resulted in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placing a hold on Gaspar for possible deportation back to Guatemala.

Gaspar is being held at the jail in Brownstown until he is picked up by federal authorities.