California Woman Pleads Guilty to Smuggling British Husband Across Montana Border

BILLINGS, MT — A California woman pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring to smuggle her British husband into the United States through an illegal border crossing at Roosville, Montana, rather than pursuing proper immigration channels.

Tracy Routh Lautenslager, 53, admitted to federal conspiracy charges after orchestrating an elaborate plan on April 1 to help her husband circumvent immigration procedures at the Canadian border. The British citizen had no lawful status in the United States.

“She indicated the plan was to drop her husband off at a location on the Canadian side of the border, drive into the United States, and then pick him up,” according to court documents. “She admitted that what she attempted to do was wrong.”

The scheme unraveled when U.S. Border Patrol agents spotted a lone man walking across the international boundary from Canada near Swisher Lake. Though agents couldn’t immediately locate him, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police apprehended Lautenslager’s husband and escorted him to the Roosville, British Columbia port of entry for processing.

When Lautenslager returned to Canada looking for her husband, border officials denied her entry on suspicion of smuggling and sent her back to the United States, where she was interviewed by law enforcement.

During questioning, she confessed to the conspiracy and consented to a search of her cellphone, which revealed text messages between the couple discussing the logistics of the illegal crossing as it unfolded.

The case demonstrates how some individuals choose to break federal immigration laws rather than navigate legal procedures, even when involving citizens of allied nations like Britain. Court documents don’t specify what immigration obstacles the couple faced that led them to attempt illegal entry rather than pursue proper channels.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided over Monday’s hearing. Lautenslager faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen on January 6, 2026.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations. U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation.

Lautenslager was released with conditions pending sentencing.