Kilmar Abrego Garcia returns to US, faces federal smuggling charges
WASHINGTON - A Maryland man who was mistakenly deported earlier this year has returned to the U.S., but now faces federal charges related to alleged smuggling activities.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, 29, was brought back from El Salvador on Friday after a federal judge ordered his return. However, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Garcia now faces charges of alien smuggling and conspiracy to commit alien smuggling.
READ MORE: Kilmar Abrego Garcia returned to US to face criminal charges, says DOJ
What we know
Garcia, a resident of Prince George's County, Maryland, was initially arrested and deported in March despite an immigration court order preventing his removal. The Trump administration admitted an error but delayed facilitating his return until the federal judge's ruling.
Prosecutors allege Garcia conspired to transport individuals illegally into the U.S. for money, including suspected MS-13 associates and others who cross the border and were in the U.S. illegally -- dating back to 2016. He is also accused of involvement in the murder of a gang member's mother in El Salvador, though the indictment does not formally charge him with that crime.
READ MORE: Kilmar Abrego Garcia criminal charges: DOJ claims he ran 'alien smuggling' scheme
The case has sparked controversy between those supporting strict immigration policies and those advocating for immigrant rights.
"He was a smuggler of humans and children and women," said Attorney General Pam Bondi in announcing Abrego Garcia's return. "The defendant traded the innocence of minor children for profit," said in the unsealing of a grand jury indictment.
Maryland Democratic Congressman Glenn Ivey, who traveled to El Salvador but was unable to meet Garcia, questioned the timing of the charges, suggesting they could be a way to shift attention away from government missteps.
Garcia remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court at the end of the week. If convicted, he could be deported again to El Salvador.
The Source
Information in this article comes from The Associated Press and previous FOX 5 reporting.
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