Guatemalan man sentenced for illegal reentry

GREAT FALLS - A Guatemalan man who was in the United States illegally was sentenced today to a sentence of time-served and remanded to U.S. Border Patrol upon release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Tomy Osama Salvador-Quino, 24, pleaded guilty on September 9, 2025, to illegal reentry.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

The government alleged in court documents that around noon on August 15, 2025, a Hill County Sheriff's Deputy saw a silver sedan with a Texas license plate speeding through Hingham, Montana. The speed limit in the area was 45 miles per hour and the radar on the patrol vehicle measured the car's speed at 70 miles per hour. The deputy initiated a traffic stop, approached the driver side of the car, and told the driver, Tomy Salvador-Quino, he was stopped for speeding. The deputy asked Salvador-Quino for his license, proof of insurance, and vehicle registration, but Salvador-Quino did not seem to understand the request and indicated he did not speak English. The deputy requested Border Patrol assistance.

While waiting for the Border Patrol to arrive, Salvador-Quino provided the deputy with his passport, which contained his name and his country of citizenship - Guatemala. The passport did not include any stamps showing Salvador-Quino entered the United States legally.

When a Border Patrol agent arrived, Salvador-Quino admitted he is a Guatemalan citizen with no legal status in the United States. He was taken into custody and processed at the Havre Border Patrol Station. After waiving his rights, he agreed to answer questions and again confirmed he is a citizen of Guatemala, was previously removed from the United States, and has no pending petitions to remain in the United States.

A review of Salvador-Quino's A-file shows Border Patrol agents previously encountered him on April 5, 2020, and he was removed. He was encountered again in December 2020 and removed on January 15, 2021. He last entered the United States illegally sometime after that date and there are no records within the Department of Homeland Security he ever applied for readmission into the United States.

The United States Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Border Patrol and the Hill County Sheriff's Office.

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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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