Mexican man pleads guilty to illegal reentry

MISSOULA – A man from Mexico accused of being in the United States illegally admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

The defendant, Eduardo Heriberto Mendoza-Almanza, 40, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien. Mendoza-Almanza faces 10 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen DeSoto presided. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is set for December 10, 2025. Mendoza-Almanza was detained pending further proceedings.

The government alleged in court documents that Mendoza-Almanza was arrested on April 6, 2025, in Belgrade, Montana, after an officer stopped him for driving with no license plate light after dark. He was identified with his Mexico driver’s license. His driving privileges were suspended in Montana and revoked in New Mexico. He also had numerous active warrants. He was arrested for driving without a license.

Mendoza-Almanza has been removed from the U.S. on eight prior occasions:

• March 6, 2006
• February 2, 2007
• February 22, 2007
• February 25, 2007
• May 11, 2007
• January 11, 2008
• June 18, 2011
• September 5, 2023

He was convicted of felony illegal reentry in Montana Federal Court, District of Montana, Missoula Division, on March 15, 2023. He was sentenced to time served and removed. There is no record he applied for or was granted permission by the Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to return to the United States.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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