Mexican Man Sentenced After Fake Identity Documents Found Hidden in Boots During Havre Train Stop

GREAT FALLS — A Mexican man who had been living in the United States illegally for years was sentenced to time served after Border Patrol agents discovered fraudulent immigration documents hidden in his boots during a train stop in Havre.

Luis Alberto Vega-Lili, 57, was sentenced Monday to 121 days in prison — the time he had already served — and was remanded to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol upon release. He pleaded guilty in May to one count of use or possession of fraudulent immigration document.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided over the sentencing in Great Falls.

The case began March 11 when Border Patrol agents found Vega-Lili on a train in Havre. During questioning, he acknowledged his Mexican citizenship and admitted he did not have immigration paperwork allowing him to enter or remain in the United States.

Vega-Lili provided agents with a Mexican passport that was issued in North Carolina. He told agents he had submitted an incomplete application for naturalization in 2008 because he was married to a U.S. citizen, but she had died.

During a secondary security search of Vega-Lili’s cell, agents made a disturbing discovery. Hidden in the sole of his boot were a fraudulent Social Security card and a fraudulent permanent resident card.

The permanent resident card contained information belonging to a person from India who was born in 1973 and living in Texas — indicating a sophisticated document fraud operation that crossed state and international lines.

The case highlights the reach of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice to combat illegal immigration and dismantle transnational criminal organizations. According to the Justice Department, the operation marshals the full resources of the department to “repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”

The operation streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood programs.

U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme’s office prosecuted the case, while the U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation.

The discovery of fraudulent documents containing information from someone in India suggests Vega-Lili may have been connected to a broader document fraud network operating across multiple states and potentially involving international elements.

The case demonstrates how immigration enforcement extends far beyond traditional border crossings, with agents conducting operations on transportation corridors like the train route through Havre.

Vega-Lili’s lengthy illegal presence in the United States, dating back at least to 2008 when his wife died, illustrates the complex personal circumstances that can surround immigration cases, even those involving document fraud.

The sentencing represents another case processed under Operation Take Back America, as federal authorities continue efforts to crack down on immigration violations and related criminal activity across Montana and the nation.