Honduran national pleads guilty to reentering U.S. illegally

BILLINGS - A man who previously had been removed from the country four times admitted to charges of illegal reentry today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.

The defendant, Tony Noe Oviedo Zelaya, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of reentry to the United States after having been previously removed. Oviedo Zelaya faces 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided at the change of plea proceedings. U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Oct. 8, 2026. Oviedo Zelaya remained in custody pending further proceedings.

The government alleged in court documents that Oviedo Zelaya is a native citizen of Honduras and that he illegally entered the United States on multiple occasions.

West Yellowstone police officers pulled over Oviedo Zelaya on April 14, 2026, and discovered he was driving on a suspended license. They learned he was a Honduran national who had been removed from the country on four different occasions. The last time was March 21, 2025, when he was barred from returning to the U.S. for 20 years.

The U.S. Attorney's Office is prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Immigration and Custom Enforcement conducted the investigation.