Mexican National Who Crashed Into Vehicle During 80 MPH Kalispell Chase Pleads Guilty to Fourth Illegal Reentry

KALISPELL — A Mexican national who crashed into a vehicle carrying four people during an 80 mph chase through a Kalispell residential neighborhood pleaded guilty to illegal reentry charges, marking his fourth removal from the United States since the 1990s.

Baldemar Duarte-Nieto, 46, entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy in Missoula Federal District Court on Tuesday, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme. Duarte-Nieto faces up to 10 years in federal prison, a $100,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.

The June 26 chase in Kalispell ended when Duarte-Nieto struck a Toyota Camry occupied by four people before fleeing on foot, according to court documents. A K-9 unit was deployed to apprehend him. At the time of his arrest, Duarte-Nieto had an outstanding warrant from Washington state for unlawful delivery of a controlled substance — heroin.

Western Montana News reported on Duarte-Nieto’s arrest in June, when Homeland Security Investigations announced the capture of the previously deported individual wanted on felony drug charges.

Pattern of Removals

Duarte-Nieto was first removed from the United States in 1996 or 1997, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He was removed again in 2000, and then a week later with a 20-year bar from reentry.

His most recent removal came in November 2021 following an extensive hearing before an immigration judge. Authorities discovered Duarte-Nieto had used an assumed identity for approximately 20 years.

Department of Homeland Security records show no evidence that Duarte-Nieto ever applied for legal readmission to the United States.

Criminal History Across Three States

Duarte-Nieto’s criminal record spans multiple states and includes violent offenses:

• 1996: Assault with a weapon in Pacific County, Washington
• 2002: Carjacking in Claremont, California
• 2006: Conspiracy to bring a controlled dangerous substance into a prison in Susanville, California
• 2012: False statements in the Western District of Washington

The case fits a pattern Western Montana News has documented in federal court. In September, federal prosecutors secured sentences against two Mexican nationals with multiple deportations who had illegally reentered Montana.

Sentencing Scheduled for March

Judge Molloy set sentencing for March 13, 2026. Duarte-Nieto remains detained pending the hearing.

The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana. Homeland Security Investigations, the Northwest Montana Drug Task Force, and the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations.