Kilmar Abrego Garcia heads back to US after wrongful deportation to El Salvador
An illegal migrant who was mistakenly deported from the US to El Salvador's notorious mega prison is on his way back to the US to face charges.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, 29, who entered the US illegally, was one of hundreds deported by Donald Trump. He will face criminal charges for allegedly transporting undocumented migrants within the US, ABC reported.
The US Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to 'facilitate' Mr Abrego Garcia's return after he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March.
The White House initially refused, insisting Mr Abrego Garcia is a member of the notorious South American gang MS-13, allegations his wife and lawyer have denied.
Mr Abrego Garcia remained imprisoned in the notorious Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo in El Salvador.
Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador, said he lacked the power to return Mr Abrego Garcia, saying it would be 'preposterous' to 'smuggle a terrorist into the United States'.
Mr Abrego Garcia's case dominated the news agenda in the US for a time and was seized upon by Democrats, who held it up as evidence of the cruelty of Mr Trump's mass deportation programme.
In turn, Republicans claimed it proved that Democrats cared more about the welfare of an alleged gang member than the safety of the US people.
Mr Abrego Garcia's wife Jennifer Vasquez has campaigned for his release, despite allegations he had previously beaten her and was once detained as part of a murder investigation.
Police documents made public by Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, alleged Mr Abrego Garcia had a rank and street name with the brutal gang MS-13.
He also allegedly beat Ms Vasquez in 2021, prompting her to get a restraining order against him and describe him as 'violent' in a handwritten statement.
Ms Vasquez, who has since described her husband as an 'excellent father', previously told law enforcement he punched her, scratched her and ripped off her shirt.
In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph in April, Gustavo Villatoro, El Salvador's justice and security minister, said there was 'no proof' Mr Abrego Garcia was a member of MS-13.
Mr Villatoro also suggested it was possible El Salvador could facilitate the return of Mr Abrego Garcia 'in the future' should Donald Trump request it, contrary to claims made by Mr Bukele.
Ms Bondi said a grand jury had found 'Abrego Garcia had played a significant role in an alien smuggling ring', prompting an arrest warrant to be sent to El Salvador.
'They found this was his full time job, not a contractor. He was a smuggler of humans and children and women.'
Mr Abrego Garcia 'abused undocumented alien females', according to co-conspirators who were under his control while transporting them throughout our country, Ms Bondi claimed.
He is alleged to have trafficked firearms and narcotics throughout America on multiple occasions, the grand jury found.
A co-conspirator also alleged that Mr Garcia solicited nude photographs and videos of a minor and played a role in the murder of a rival gang member.
'It is very dangerous, and they [MS-13] are living throughout our country. but no more because they are being arrested, they are being prosecuted and being convicted and deported, when appropriate,' Ms Bondi added.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said: 'Abrego Garcia is an illegal alien terrorist, gang member, and human trafficker who has spent his entire life abusing innocent people, especially women and the most vulnerable.
'Abrego Garcia will now return to the United States to answer for his crimes and meet the full force of American justice.
'The Democrat lawmakers, namely Democrat Senator Chris Van Hollen, and every single so-called 'journalist' who defended this illegal criminal abuser must immediately apologise to Garcia's victims.
'The Trump administration will continue to hold criminals accountable to the fullest extent of the.'
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