Third-Time Guatemalan Offender Caught Speeding Gets Immediate Removal Near Hi-Line

GREAT FALLS — A Guatemalan man caught speeding through Hingham was sentenced to time served and immediately remanded to U.S. Border Patrol after pleading guilty to illegal reentry charges, marking his third removal from the United States in five years.

Tomy Osama Salvador-Quino, 24, was sentenced Tuesday by Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris in Great Falls Federal District Court after pleading guilty on September 9 to illegal reentry.

The case began August 15 when a Hill County Sheriff’s Deputy clocked Salvador-Quino driving 70 mph in a 45 mph zone through Hingham. During the traffic stop, Salvador-Quino indicated he didn’t speak English and couldn’t provide a driver’s license or vehicle registration.

When the deputy requested Border Patrol assistance, Salvador-Quino provided his passport, which showed his Guatemalan citizenship but contained no stamps indicating legal entry into the United States.

Border Patrol agents took Salvador-Quino into custody and transported him to the Havre Border Patrol Station for processing. After waiving his rights, he admitted he was a Guatemalan citizen with no legal status in the United States.

Third Removal in Five Years

A review of Salvador-Quino’s immigration file revealed a pattern of repeat violations. Border Patrol agents first encountered him on April 5, 2020, and he was removed from the country. He was encountered again in December 2020 and removed on January 15, 2021.

Salvador-Quino illegally entered the United States sometime after his 2021 removal, with no records showing he ever applied for legal readmission through the Department of Homeland Security.

U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced the sentence Tuesday.

The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that “marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration” and eliminate transnational criminal organizations.

Pattern of Hi-Line Cases

Salvador-Quino’s case represents the latest in a series of illegal reentry prosecutions involving the Havre area. Recent cases include a Mexican man with multiple deportations sentenced near Chinook in September and a Honduran man who received three months in prison for a similar violation in August.

Unlike some recent cases that resulted in prison terms, Salvador-Quino received a time-served sentence, meaning he was immediately turned over to Border Patrol for removal proceedings.

The investigation was conducted by the Border Patrol and the Hill County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana prosecuted the case.