3 hours ago
Swift News
A California woman is facing up to 10 years in prison for attempting to smuggle her husband — who is not an American citizen — into the U.S. at an East Kootenay border crossing earlier in the spring.
On Aug. 25, 2025, Tracy Routh Lautenslager, 53, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bring aliens into the United States at a location other than a designated port of entry during an appearance in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto at a courtroom in Billings, Montana.
Additional sanctions possibly include a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme outlined the details of the government's case in a statement on the Department of Justice website.
The DOJ alleges that on April 1, 2025, a vehicle operated by the defendant entered the United States through the Roosville border crossing south of Jaffray on the Canadian side, then proceeded to the Swisher Lake area, which is just east of the of the Lake Koocanusa reservoir in Montana.
Later that morning, the U.S. Border Patrol was alerted to a lone male walking across the international boundary line from Canada to the United States.
U.S. Border Patrol responded and searched for the man who entered illegally. However, after searching, they were unable to locate him and believed he returned to Canada.
