Billings, MT – In a dramatic turn of events, Tracy Routh Lautenslager, a 53-year-old woman from California, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to smuggle her husband into the United States. The admitted conspiracy took place at the Roosville, Montana Port of Entry.
Lautenslager faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for January 6, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen.
According to court documents, on April 1, 2025, Lautenslager drove a vehicle into the United States through Roosville and planned to drop off her husband, a citizen of Great Britain with no lawful status in the U.S., on the Canadian side of the border. They intended to drive back across the border and pick him up later.
The defendant’s husband was apprehended by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) after crossing into the U.S. from Canada. Lautenslager, who returned to Canada to look for her husband, was denied entry and returned to the United States, where she confessed to the plan during an interview with law enforcement.
Law enforcement obtained and reviewed text messages on Lautenslager’s phone that revealed discussions between her and her husband about the conspiracy. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case, with the investigation conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a national initiative focused on illegal immigration and combating transnational criminal organizations.
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Key Facts
- State: Montana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime|Human Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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