MISSOULA - An El Salvadorian citizen who was in the country illegally after having been removed in 2019 was sentenced Wednesday to time served of 208 days, which will be followed by his removal from the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.

Gabriel Dejesus Portillo-Abrego, 37, pleaded guilty in March 2026 to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.

U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

The government alleged in court documents that Portillo-Abrego had illegally returned to the U.S. after having first been deported in 2019. Local law enforcement in Belgrade stopped the vehicle Portillo-Abrego was driving for speeding and driving under the influence on March 1, 2025. After he was detained, U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement learned of his arrest and determined Portillo-Abrego had been removed from the country in 2019 and lacked the proper authorization to return.

The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement conducted the investigation.

This 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, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.