⏱ 2 min read
Rodolfo Jaime Yanez-Contreras, a 43-year-old Mexican citizen, was found to be in the United States illegally after being deported five times between 2000 and 2017. He was detained by law enforcement on December 23, 2025, during a search of a Bozeman residence where he was staying. The search was conducted by the Missouri River Drug Task Force and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, who were serving a search warrant. Yanez-Contreras had previously been removed from the United States in 2000, 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2017, with his last two removals resulting in convictions for felony reentry.
Yanez-Contreras pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of reentry after having been removed from the United States. He was sentenced to 10 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducting the investigation.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations. Yanez-Contreras’s sentence reflects the seriousness with which the US government takes illegal reentry cases, particularly those involving individuals with a history of repeated offenses.
The investigation and prosecution of Yanez-Contreras’s case demonstrate the collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in addressing the issue of illegal immigration. The Missouri River Drug Task Force and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation worked together to apprehend Yanez-Contreras, and the US Customs and Border Protection played a key role in the investigation.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Organized Crime
- Defendant: Montana
- Location: MT
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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