Mexican National Arrested in Belgrade Pleads Guilty to Second Illegal Reentry to Montana

Eduardo Heriberto Mendoza-Almanza had been deported eight times since 2006

The Russell Smith Federal Courthouse in Missoula serves the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana.

By Staff Writer
Aug 6, 2025

MISSOULA — A Mexican national who has been deported from the United States eight times pleaded guilty Wednesday to illegal reentry charges, marking at least his second time illegally returning specifically to Montana.

Eduardo Heriberto Mendoza-Almanza, 40, faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release following his guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen DeSoto. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen will determine sentencing on December 10, 2025.

Mendoza-Almanza was arrested April 6, 2025, in Belgrade after an officer stopped him for driving without a license plate light after dark, according to court documents. He was identified using his Mexico driver’s license and was found to have suspended driving privileges in Montana and revoked privileges in New Mexico.

When arrested, Mendoza-Almanza also had numerous active warrants outstanding against him, adding to his legal troubles beyond the immigration violation.

The defendant has an extensive history with U.S. immigration enforcement, having been removed from the country eight times between 2006 and 2023:

March 6, 2006
February 2, 2007
February 22, 2007
February 25, 2007
May 11, 2007
January 11, 2008
June 18, 2011
September 5, 2023

Most significantly for Montana, Mendoza-Almanza was previously convicted of felony illegal reentry in Montana Federal Court in March 2023. He was sentenced to time served and removed from the country in September 2023, but returned again within months.

There is no record he applied for or received permission from the Attorney General or Department of Homeland Security Secretary to return to the United States.

The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducting the investigation.

This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative that “marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), 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.

This article is part of our series on Montana Illegal Aliens covering breaking news and reporting on illegal immigration enforcement in Montana, including ICE arrests, deportations, HSI operations, and federal immigration proceedings affecting the state.