BILLINGS - Two Mexican citizens who illegally reentered the U.S. after having been previously removed at least once were sentenced this week, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.

Armando Moreno-Moya, 32, and Agustin Balderas-Jimenez, 32, who both pleaded guilty in September 2026 to illegally reentering the United States, were jailed for just over two months and now will be deported.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen S. Lane presided over Moreno-Moya's sentencing; U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided over Balderas-Jimenez's.

The government alleged in court documents that Moreno-Moya and Balderas-Jimenez were pulled over by law enforcement on Aug. 4, 2026, after Montana Highway Patrol troopers flagged the vehicle for having expired registration. Upon checking identification documents of both men, law enforcement learned they were Mexican citizens and in the country without the proper documentation. Moreno-Moya previously had been removed from the U.S. in March 2020; Balderas-Jimenez had been removed in July 2022.

The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.