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Aijalon Gomes' Rescue
Aijalon Gomes who was arrested for illegally entering North Korea was finally released. Gomes who had been held for months was released not because of the United States government, but because of a private humanitarian mission by former president Jimmy Carter. Although the United States did try and secure his release weeks before, they were unsuccessful in doing so. President Carter's private plane landed on Friday, August 27, at Logan International Airportlocated in Boston, Massachusetts. With family and friends waiting, this is where Aijalon Gomes first stepped back onto American soil as a free man at about 2 o'clock PM. Carter's private plane had landed in the North Korea's capital city of Pyongyang earlier that week on Wednesday.

Background
Aijalon Gomes is a 33 year old man who was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He taught English at Chungui Middle School which is located about an hour-and-a-half away from South Korea’s capital, Seoul. The people who know Gomez describe him as being a very devout Christian. He regularly attended the Every Nation Church of Korea which is located in Seoul. Although his exact reasoning for entering North Korea are unknown, it is thought to have to do with his religious background and beliefs.

Arrest and Conviction
Aijalon Gomes was arrested on January 25, 2010 for the illegal entry into North Korea from the country of China. North Korea convicted Gomez and sentenced him to eight years in prison and hard labor. Gomes was also sentenced to pay a a large fine for his crimes. News reports stated that in July Gomes tried to commit suicide, which invigorated his family's pleas for his release on humanitarian grounds. North Korea's government expressed that they would release him if former President Carter went to get him.

Gomes' Return to America
When former President Carter's private plain landed in Boston, Aijalon Gomes stepped off into the awaiting crowd of friends and family. The joyful crowd surrounded Gomes welcoming him home with hand shakes and embraces. His close family also hugged and thanked former President Carter for securing his release. Gomes' family had asked reporters earlier that day for privacy and no statements were made upon his arrival back home. Later on that Friday family members reported to the media that Gomes was a little thin but was in good physical health. Besides securing Gomes' release, former President Carter might have also opened new doors for diplomatic relations between North Korea and the United States. Carter was known during his presidency for having decent relations with the country of North Korea. "Jimmy Carter made an apology to Kim Yong Nam for American Gomes' illegal entry into [North Korea] and gave him the assurance that such case will never happen again," the Korean Central News Agency reported Friday.