MISSOULA, MONTANA – In a stunning admission of guilt, Daniel Yepez-Gaytan, a 41-year-old Mexican national, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry into the United States today. According to U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, Yepez-Gaytan’s transgression has earned him a potential sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
The hearing was presided over by U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen DeSoto, with sentencing scheduled for December 10, 2025, under the guidance of U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen.
Yepez-Gaytan, also known as Daniel Guzman-Calderon, had been removed from the United States in November 2013 but was apprehended again on April 23, 2025, without proper re-entry authorization. His illegal presence was confirmed after a traffic stop in Bozeman, Montana, where he was found driving a pickup truck with a Washington State driver’s license.
Law enforcement authorities, utilizing government databases, uncovered Yepez-Gaytan’s previous deportations and criminal convictions for illegal entry and reentry, dating back to 2004. Despite his illegal status, he had not applied to either the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of Homeland Security for permission to return.
The defendant’s alien registration file reveals a history of three prior removals from the U.S., with the most recent occurring on November 14, 2013. His case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Missouri River Drug Task Force.
This incident is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and safeguarding communities from violent crime. The operation leverages resources from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Key Facts
- State: Montana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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