A Mexican woman living in Roundup was sentenced on July 30 to time served and will be removed from the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said. Gabriela Lopez-Castro, 35, pleaded guilty in March 2026 to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided over the sentencing. According to court documents, Lopez-Castro had previously been deported in 2019 and again in 2024 before returning illegally. She was arrested by Musselshell County authorities on Feb. 4, 2026, on allegations of partner or family member assault. When deputies discovered she had no U.S. identification, they contacted the Malta Border Patrol Station for assistance.
The following day, Lopez-Castro admitted to Border Patrol agents that she had returned to the country illegally after her previous deportations. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, described as a nationwide initiative that marshals Department of Justice resources “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.” The U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana supports community safety through addressing violent crime, fraud, environmental offenses, and other issues; it operates offices across Billings, Great Falls, Helena and Missoula as part of its mandate within the Department of Justice, according to its official website.
Kurt G. Alme has held leadership roles within this office over a legal career spanning more than three decades.