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Belgrade, MT – Juan Diego Rojas-Meneses, 20, walked out of federal court yesterday after serving 219 days, but his freedom was short-lived. Judge Dana Christensen immediately handed him over to U.S. Border Patrol. The feds didn’t want to pile on jail time; they wanted him gone.
Rojas-Meneses pleaded guilty to illegally re-entering the U.S. after being deported twice through El Paso, Texas – September 1st and September 23rd of last year. Belgrade police raided a local residence August 12th and confirmed he had no legal status, with Rojas-Meneses admitting he was a Mexican citizen without authorization.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case, a joint effort involving Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Belgrade PD, and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigations. The bust is tied into “Operation Take Back America,” a broad DOJ initiative aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration and targeting what they call ‘cartels.’
Essentially, Rojas-Meneses got time served, then a one-way ticket courtesy of the Border Patrol. A clear message: the feds aren’t playing around with repeat border crossings.
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📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Organized Crime
- Defendant: Montana
- Location: US
- Source: U.S. Department of Justice
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