⏱ 2 min read
Fabian Lopez-Barragan, a 25-year-old Mexican national, was pulled over in Sidney, Montana, on December 30, 2025, for driving a car with mismatched plates. The traffic stop led to the discovery that Lopez-Barragan was in the country illegally, having been deported in 2019. Lopez-Barragan pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry into the United States in February 2026.
The investigation, conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, revealed that Lopez-Barragan had returned to the US in 2020, a year after his initial deportation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and transnational crime.
Lopez-Barragan was sentenced to 211 days of custody by U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. His next step will be deportation, marking the end of his latest attempt to remain in the US illegally. The case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to identify and prosecute individuals who attempt to reenter the country after being deported.
The sentence serves as a warning to those who would attempt to circumvent US immigration laws. With the help of initiatives like Operation Take Back America, authorities are working to protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime and to eliminate the presence of cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Organized Crime
- Defendant: Montana
- Location: MT
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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