Great Falls, Montana – A federal jury has convicted a Honduran woman on immigration-related charges after prosecutors said she illegally returned to the United States and transported a Mexican national who was also in the country unlawfully.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith, 41-year-old Yolanda Ernestina Soto-Antunez was found guilty following a three-day federal trial. Jurors convicted her of being in the United States illegally after a previous deportation and transporting an individual who was also in the country unlawfully.
The verdict was delivered after federal prosecutors presented evidence regarding a traffic stop and subsequent investigation that led authorities to uncover information about Soto-Antunez and her passenger.
Soto-Antunez now faces a possible sentence of up to five years in federal prison, a fine of as much as $250,000, and three years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris will determine the final sentence after reviewing federal sentencing guidelines and other legal factors. Sentencing is scheduled for July 9, 2026.
Following the verdict, Soto-Antunez was ordered detained while awaiting further court proceedings.
Traffic stop led to federal investigation
The case began on March 6, 2026, when a deputy with the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office stopped Soto-Antunez for speeding on Highway 2 near the community of Malta.
According to prosecutors, communication difficulties arose during the stop because the deputy struggled to understand Soto-Antunez’s limited English. As a result, assistance was requested from two U.S. Border Patrol agents who helped translate and continue the investigation.
Authorities eventually determined that Soto-Antunez was a citizen of Honduras who was unlawfully present in the United States. Investigators also discovered that the passenger riding in her vehicle was a Mexican national who was likewise in the country illegally.
As the investigation continued, agents located approximately $18,000 inside a duffle bag belonging to the passenger.
Court testimony indicated that the passenger told investigators he was traveling to Washington state to borrow another $12,000 from a cousin. The combined amount of $30,000 was allegedly intended to help pay for his sister to be brought illegally into the United States.
According to prosecutors, the passenger said he had been instructed to give the money to Soto-Antunez, who would then deliver the funds to a group operating in Tijuana that would arrange for his sister’s illegal transportation across the border.
Previous deportation uncovered
Federal investigators also learned that Soto-Antunez had previously been removed from the United States in June 2012.
Evidence presented during the case showed that she later returned to the country in August 2016 without authorization. Prosecutors argued that her presence in the United States after that reentry violated federal immigration laws.
The government maintained throughout the case that Soto-Antunez was not only unlawfully present in the country but was also involved in transporting another individual who lacked legal status.
After hearing evidence over three days, jurors ultimately agreed with the government’s case and returned guilty verdicts on the charges.
The conviction marks the latest step in a case that began with a routine speeding stop and expanded into a federal investigation involving immigration violations, transportation of an undocumented individual, and allegations connected to a planned cross-border smuggling payment. Soto-Antunez will learn her punishment when she returns to court for sentencing in July.
