MISSOULA — A 30-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for illegally re-entering the United States, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana.
Rigonaldo Diaz-Chixna was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. He pleaded guilty in May 2025 to the charge, where U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen oversaw the case.
According to court records, Diaz-Chixna was arrested in Bozeman on Dec. 10, 2024, on charges of obstructing a peace officer and two outstanding warrants. A fingerprint analysis revealed that he had been removed from the U.S. on July 19, 2022, after a felony conviction for illegal re-entry just weeks earlier in the District of Montana.
Federal authorities said there is no record Diaz-Chixna ever sought or obtained permission from the U.S. attorney general or the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to return.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Clarke and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Bozeman Police Department.
Officials said the prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal immigration, drug cartels and violent crime through coordinated federal resources.
