Mexican citizen sentenced for illegally reentering the U.S.

BILLINGS - A Mexican woman living in Roundup, who was in the country illegally, was sentenced Thursday to time served, followed by her removal from the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.

Gabriela Lopez-Castro, 35, pleaded guilty in March 2026 to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

The government alleged in court documents that Lopez-Castro was in the country illegally after having been deported in 2019 and again in 2024. She was arrested in Musselshell County on Feb. 4, 2026, on allegations of partner or family member assault. Musselshell County sheriff's deputies called the Malta Border Patrol Station for help when they discovered Lopez-Castro had no U.S. identification. The next day, Lopez-Castro acknowledged to Border Patrol agents she had returned to the U.S. illegally.

The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. U.S. Customs and Border Protection 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.