Mexican citizen sentenced to prison for illegally reentering the U.S.

MISSOULA - A Mexican national who was in the United States after having been convicted twice for illegal reentry was sentenced today to 10 months in prison, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.

Rodolfo Jaime Yanez-Contreras, 43, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of reentry after having been removed from the United States.

U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

The government alleged in court documents that Yanez-Contreras was in the country illegally after having been deported from Texas five times between 2000 and 2017.

Yanez-Contreras was detained by law enforcement on Dec. 23, 2025, during a search of the Bozeman residence where he was staying. The Missouri River Drug Task Force and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation were serving a search warrant and encountered Yanez-Contreras among those at the residence.

Law enforcement learned Yanez-Contreras had previously been removed from the United States in 2000, 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2017. With his last two removals, Yanez-Contreras was convicted of felony reentry.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney 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.