Border patrol apprehends aliens near Shelby

Editor’s note: Updated April 22, 2025

The cases against two of the three aliens detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in north-central Montana in March have been dismissed as being in the wrong venue — they were charged in Montana when they are accused of crossing the southern border some time ago and the judge agreed Montana was not where they should be prosecuted — and attorneys for the two say the government has provided no evidence linking their clients to gangs. See a Montana Free Press story at https://www.havredailynews.com/story/2025/04/10/state-news/the-border-patrol-agents-in-montana-called-them-gang-members-defense-attorneys-saw-no-evidence-of-that-as-a-judge-dismissed-their-cases/547777.html

U.S. Border Patrol announced that agents with the Havre Sector of the patrol in March arrested a woman, and three illegal aliens the Border Patrol identified as members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua Gang, on suspicion of illegally smuggling the three aliens into the United Strates .

A spokesman for Border Patrol said the arrest occurred in the area of responsibility of the Sweetgrass Border Patrol Station.

A Facebook post by the U.S. Border Patrol Havre Sector said the smuggler, a U.S. citizen, would be prosecuted under federal law for bringing in and harboring aliens and the three aliens would be charged under federal law with entry of removed aliens and improper entry by an alien.

The Trump administration has used allegations of gang membership to justify deporting aliens to El Salvador to be housed in a high-security prison.

Courts have been taking action to put a pause on the deportations of people accused of being Venezuelan members including theThe U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling Saturday for the administration to pause deporting people accused of being gang members detained in northern Texas.