Mexican Man Previously Deported Four Times Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry in Bozeman

MISSOULA, MT — A Mexican man previously deported four times pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to illegal reentry charges after being discovered during a traffic stop in Bozeman, marking the latest in a series of immigration enforcement actions across Montana.

Daniel Yepez-Gaytan, 41, also known as Daniel Guzman-Calderon, faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release after admitting to illegally reentering the United States following his 2013 removal, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana.

U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen will determine sentencing after reviewing federal guidelines. The hearing is scheduled for December 10, 2025.

Traffic Stop Leads to Discovery

On April 23, 2025, law enforcement stopped a pickup truck driven by Yepez-Gaytan in Bozeman. He presented a Washington State driver’s license, but database queries revealed he was a foreign national present in the country illegally with no documentation supporting legal status.

“Yepez-Gaytan confirmed his identity, nationality, illegal entry, previous removals, and his lack of application to the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of Homeland Security for permission to re-enter after his removals,” court documents state.

Pattern of Deportations

Immigration records show Yepez-Gaytan was first deported July 30, 2004, through El Paso, Texas. He has since been removed three additional times, with his most recent deportation occurring November 14, 2013, through Laredo, Texas.

The defendant also has two prior criminal convictions from 2011 for illegal entry and illegal reentry.

Ongoing Montana Enforcement

This case continues a pattern of immigration enforcement actions across Montana in recent months. In August, another Mexican national pleaded guilty to illegal reentry charges in Belgrade after being deported eight times.

In July, a Shelby woman was convicted of harboring illegal aliens, while another Mexican man was sentenced after his fourth illegal border crossing since 2019.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen DeSoto presided over Tuesday’s guilty plea. Yepez-Gaytan remains detained pending sentencing.

Part of Federal Initiative

The case falls under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations. The operation coordinates resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood program.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Missouri River Drug Task Force conducted the investigation, with prosecution handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.