Man wrongly deported under Trump returns to US to face trafficking charges

Roya News

11 hours ago

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador earlier this year, has been returned to the US to face federal criminal charges, Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed on Friday.
Abrego Garcia's case had stirred months of legal wrangling and political controversy, culminating in a standoff between the Trump administration and the federal judiciary over a court order requiring the government to assist in his return. One federal judge even warned the situation risked becoming an 'incipient crisis' between the branches of government.
Upon his return, Abrego Garcia was indicted in the Middle District of Tennessee on two federal counts: conspiracy to unlawfully transport undocumented immigrants for profit and actual unlawful transport for profit. The indictment alleges that he and several unnamed co-conspirators helped move thousands of undocumented individuals, some of whom were believed to be affiliated with the MS-13 gang, across multiple states, including Texas and Maryland.
Abrego Garcia and his family deny any gang affiliations. They say he fled El Salvador years ago to escape gang violence.
His defense attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, sharply criticized the government's actions. 'The government disappeared Kilmar to a foreign prison in violation of a court order. Now, after months of delay and secrecy, they're bringing him back, not to correct their error but to prosecute him. This shows that they were playing games with the court all along,' Sandoval-Moshenberg said. 'Due process means the chance to defend yourself before you're punished, not after. This is an abuse of power, not justice.'
President Donald Trump, however, applauded the Justice Department's handling of the case. Speaking aboard Air Force One, he said, 'He should have never had to be returned, take a look at what's happened with it. Take a look at what they found in the grand jury. I thought Pam Bondi did a great job.'
Officials familiar with the situation said the White House and State Department both signed off on the decision to bring Abrego Garcia back, a move that unfolded quietly over the past few days.
The charges stem from incidents dating as far back as 2016. In one example detailed in the indictment, Abrego Garcia was pulled over in Tennessee in late 2022 while driving a vehicle containing nine Hispanic men who had no identification or belongings. Prosecutors allege he was involved in organizing repeated transportation routes for undocumented migrants across state lines, often under the guise of bringing them to construction jobs.
Though narcotics trafficking is mentioned in the indictment, Abrego Garcia has not been charged with drug-related offenses.
At a press conference Friday, Bondi announced his return and thanked Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele for cooperating. 'Abrego Garcia has landed in the United States to face justice,' she said.
However, the case has not been without internal fallout. Sources revealed that Ben Schrader, the chief of the criminal division in the US Attorney's Office in Nashville, resigned shortly after the indictment was issued, amid internal disagreements over how the case was handled.
In court Friday, Abrego Garcia appeared before a magistrate judge in Nashville wearing a short-sleeved white shirt. When asked whether he understood the charges, he replied in Spanish, 'Sí. Lo entiendo,' which was translated to English as 'Yes. I understand.'
While Republican officials defended the return and charges, Democratic lawmakers continued to question the original deportation and what they argue was a breach of Abrego Garcia's constitutional rights.
Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who met with Abrego Garcia in El Salvador earlier this year, said, 'This is not about the man, it's about his constitutional rights – and the rights of all. The Administration will now have to make its case in the court of law, as it should have all along.'
Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington added, 'Mr. Abrego Garcia was kidnapped in front of his young child, and disappeared to El Salvador with no due process.'
ICE officials had previously admitted that Abrego Garcia's March deportation was due to an administrative mistake. He was initially detained in El Salvador's notorious mega-prison before being relocated to another facility.
Despite earlier claims from the Trump administration that the US could not return him, the Supreme Court ruled in April that officials must 'facilitate' his return, though not 'effectuate' it, leaving legal interpretation open.
The case, now unfolding in a Tennessee courtroom, remains a flashpoint in broader debates over immigration enforcement, due process, and executive power. Though Abrego Garcia is back on US soil, his long-term future here remains uncertain. Federal prosecutors may still seek to deport him to a third country, sidestepping a 2019 court order that barred his removal to El Salvador due to the risk of gang violence.