Mexican Man Gets 15 Months for Illegal Reentry Just Two Years After Deportation

MISSOULA, MT — A Mexican man who returned to the United States illegally just two years after his deportation was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, marking another repeat offense case in Montana’s ongoing immigration enforcement efforts.

Rigonaldo Diaz-Chixna, 30, received his sentence Monday in Missoula Federal District Court for illegal reentry, along with three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided over the hearing.

The case underscores a persistent pattern of repeat border crossings that federal prosecutors have encountered across Montana, particularly in the Gallatin Valley area where routine law enforcement stops have repeatedly uncovered illegal reentry cases.

Quick Return After Deportation

Diaz-Chixna was previously convicted of illegal reentry on June 3, 2022, in the District of Montana and subsequently removed from the country on July 19, 2022. Court documents show he returned to the United States without seeking permission from the Attorney General or Secretary of Homeland Security.

On December 10, 2024, Bozeman Police Department officers arrested Diaz-Chixna for obstructing a peace officer and two outstanding warrants. Fingerprint analysis confirmed his identity and prior removal.

“There is no indication in Department of Homeland Security files that Diaz-Chixna ever applied for or obtained the permission of the United States Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reenter the United States,” court documents state.

Part of Broader Pattern

The sentencing follows another Bozeman case from August involving Daniel Yepez-Gaytan, 41, who pleaded guilty to illegal reentry charges after being deported four times previously. Yepez-Gaytan was discovered during a traffic stop in Bozeman and faces up to 10 years in prison.

Both cases demonstrate how routine police work in Bozeman has become a front line in federal immigration enforcement, with local traffic stops and arrests leading to federal prosecutions.

The Department of Homeland Security and Bozeman Police Department conducted the investigation into Diaz-Chixna’s case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Clarke prosecuted the case.

Federal Initiative Impact

The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Justice Department 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 coordinates resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood program to streamline immigration enforcement efforts.

Diaz-Chixna pleaded guilty to the charges in May 2025, accepting responsibility for his illegal return to the United States after his 2022 deportation and conviction.