A photo shows the U.S. Border Patrol. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection.)
A California woman faces up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to smuggle her husband, a British citizen, into the United States through British Columbia.
The U.S. district attorney in Montana confirmed that 53-year-old Tracy Routh Lautenslager admitted to the charge of conspiracy to smuggle an alien into the country outside an official port of entry.
Attempted Crossing Near Roosville
Prosecutors said Lautenslager drove her car south through the Roosville, B.C., border crossing on April 1. She then travelled toward Swisher Lake, Montana, as part of the plan.
That same morning, U.S. border patrol agents received reports of a man walking alone across the border from Canada. Agents searched the area but could not locate him and believed he had returned to Canada.
Canadian Mounties later found the man and brought him back to Roosville, where U.S. border agents confirmed his identity. He was identified as Lautenslager’s husband, who has no legal status in the United States.
Plan Unravels at the Border
As her husband was being detained, Lautenslager attempted to re-enter Canada to search for him. Canadian officials denied her entry, suspecting her involvement in the smuggling attempt.
U.S. authorities later interviewed Lautenslager. She admitted she and her husband planned to bypass immigration procedures.
“She indicated the plan was to drop her husband off at a location on the Canadian side of the border, drive into the United States, and then pick him up,” prosecutors said.
Text Messages Expose Details
Investigators also searched Lautenslager’s cellphone. They found text messages exchanged between her and her husband that outlined the plan and the timing of his crossing.
“She admitted that what she attempted to do was wrong,” the attorney’s office said in its statement.
Possible Sentencing
The charge of conspiracy to smuggle an alien carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. Lautenslager could also face three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
Her sentencing date has not yet been set.
