MISSOULA — A Mexican man accused of being in the United States illegally admitted to charges on Wednesday, Nov. 19, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced.
Baldemar Duarte-Nieto, 46, pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry. Duarte-Nieto faces a term of imprisonment of 10 years, a $100,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
Prosecutors alleged in court documents that on June 26, 2025, Duarte-Nieto was found by law enforcement in Kalispell after a short vehicle and foot pursuit. The pursuit reached 80 mph in a residential neighborhood and Duarte-Nieto struck a Toyota Camry with four people inside. A K-9 was deployed to apprehend him.
Duarte-Nieto had an arrest warrant from Washington for unlawful delivery of a controlled substance — heroin.
Duarte-Nieto was first removed from the United States in 1996 or 1997, in 2000, and then a week later with a 20-year bar. He was last removed from the United States in November 2021 after an extensive hearing with an Immigration Judge because he used an assumed identity for approximately 20 years, according to a news release.
Duarte-Nieto's prior convictions include 1996 assault with a weapon in Pacific County, Washington; 2002 carjacking in Claremont, California; 2006 conspiracy/bringing a controlled dangerous substance into a prison in Susanville, California; and 2012 false statements in the Western District of Washington.
There are no records within the Department of Homeland Security that Duarte-Nieto ever applied for readmission into the United States.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided, with sentencing set for March 13, 2026. Duarte-Nieto was detained pending further proceedings.
The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case, which was investigated by. Homeland Security Investigations, the Northwest Montana Drug Task Force, and the Flathead County Sheriff's Office.
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