Update: Shelby, Montana Illegal Alien Trafficker Convicted

A woman who was arrested in Shelby, Montana for smuggling illegal aliens into the country has now been convicted in federal court. (h/t to the Western Montana News for first reporting on the conviction)

You may recall when we first reported on this news back in March. Kristin Louise Mitchell was accused of smuggling illegal aliens and Tren de Aragua gang members into the country. (FYI- The photo above was blurred out by a previously released photo, and I haven't seen her photo show up on the state's offender search website yet)

According to a press release from US Attorney Kurt Alme, "Kristin Louise Mitchell, 41, was found guilty of one count of attempted harboring of illegal aliens. Mitchell faces 5 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release."

This news followed a two day trial.

US Attorney Kurt Alme: "Mitchell attempted to harbor illegal aliens. Those who are illegally in the United States need to leave. Those who try to hide them, especially aliens like Porfirio Alexander Suarez, who allegedly possessed a firearm in November 2023 when he was encountered by law enforcement in Texas, are committing a crime and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I want to thank the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who prosecuted this case, the staff in our office for their assistance, and the law enforcement agents from the Toole County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Highway Patrol, and the U.S. Border Patrol for their hard work on the case."

Click here for the full press release which provides more details in the case.

Here's part of what we told you back in March:

On February 25, 2025, a Sweetgrass Station Border Patrol Agent (BPA) ran
a vehicle registration check on a temporary Montana tag in Shelby, Montana, that came back to the same 2008 Hyundai registered to Kristin Louise Mitchell.

Mitchell has prior convictions for alien smuggling in California and have been encountered by Sweetgrass Border Patrol Agents in north-bound smuggling events. Havre Intelligence Agents contacted Toole County Sheriff’s Department (TCSO) to notify them of the situation and to ask if they’ve received any information regarding Mitchell. TCSO advised that Mitchell has had numerous complaints, and they have received tips from the public that she was harboring possible illegal aliens inside her home located at 235 11th Avenue North, Shelby, Montana, 59474.

When eventually questioned by the Toole County Sheriff's Office, Mitchell claimed the individuals were "political asylees." A border patrol agent also reports in the federal affidavit that Mitchell had been spotted "transporting individuals to the U.S.-Canada Border and showing them where to cross in order to avoid the Port of Entry." The illegal alien suspects were transported to the Border Patrol station and "all
immigration checks showed no current status nor future immigration court dates."