Man wrongly deported to El Salvador back in US to face human trafficking charges
A man wrongly deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration has been brought back to the US to face federal charges for human trafficking, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Friday.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported in March due to an 'administrative error,' according to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official.
He was one of hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members sent to El Salvador's mega-prison, where he was held for weeks before being moved to another jail.
For months, the US president's administration has been locked in a tense standoff with federal courts over orders to return Abrego Garcia from El Salvador - a dispute one judge warned could trigger a 'incipient crisis' between the two.
Abrego Garcia has now been charged in Tennessee with conspiracy to unlawfully transport illegal immigrants for financial gain and unlawful transportation of illegal immigrants for financial gain.
Officials said on Friday that he will be prosecuted in the US and, if convicted, will be sent back to El Salvador once the case is over.
'This is what American justice looks like,' Attorney General Bondi said on Friday in announcing the return of Abrego Garcia and the criminal charges.
"This defendant trafficked firearms and narcotics throughout our country on multiple occasions. They were using vehicles, SUVs, with added seats in the back, floors that had been ripped out, guns, narcotics, children, women, MS-13 members. That is what the grand jury found.
"A co-conspirator alleged that the defendant solicited nude photographs and videos of a minor. A co-conspirator also alleges the defendant played a role in the murder of a rival gang member's mother. These facts demonstrate Abrego Garcia is a danger to our community."
The charges also allege that Abrego Garcia took part in a years-long conspiracy to illegally transport thousands of undocumented migrants, including alleged MS-13 members.
He and his family deny any links to the gang, saying he fled violence in El Salvador.
What compelled authorities to press charges?
The case began with a 2022 vehicle stop by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, who suspected Abrego Garcia of human trafficking.
Last month, Tennessee authorities released bodycam footage of a 2022 traffic stop showing Abrego Garcia having a calm and friendly exchange with officers.
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report from April noted that none of the passengers had luggage, but all gave the same address as Abrego Garcia.
Abrego Garcia was never charged and was only given a warning for an expired driver's licence, the DHS report said. The report said he was travelling from Texas to Maryland via Missouri to transport workers for construction jobs.
In April, his wife said in response to the report that he sometimes moved groups of workers between sites, making the stop 'entirely plausible,' and insisted he was never charged or cited.
The Trump administration publicised Abrego Garcia's past police encounters, despite a lack of corresponding criminal charges, as it faced federal court orders and congressional calls to bring him back to the US.
Abrego Garcia's lawyer, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, said after the footage's release that it showed no evidence of a crime.
'But the point is not the traffic stop — it's that Mr Abrego Garcia deserves his day in court,' he said in May.
Abrego Garcia illegally arrived in the US in 2012 at the age of 16. Seven years later, he was arrested and handed over to immigration authorities, fearing he could be sent back to El Salvador.
An immigration judge later ruled in his favour, blocking his removal to his home country.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Trump warns of 'consequences' if Musk funds rivals - as post claiming president appears in Epstein files removed
Donald Trump has warned of "serious consequences" if Elon Musk funds his political rivals, as a social media post claiming the US president appears in files relating to the disgraced paedophile Jeffrey Epstein has been removed. Speaking on Saturday to Sky News' US partner NBC News, Mr Trump warned of repercussions if Musk funded Democrats who opposed his sweeping budget bill. "If he does, he'll have to pay the consequences for that," Trump said in a phone interview. "He'll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that," he added, not specifying what those consequences would be. 'The truth will come out' It came after the tech billionaire made the allegation on X as he traded blows with the US president in a dramatic public row. In the post, which now appears to have been deleted, Musk said: "@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. "Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out." He gave no evidence for the claim, which was dismissed by the White House - with the post disappearing from his social media platform by Sunday. Users clicking on the message - first posted on Thursday - were instead greeted with: " page doesn't exist. Try searching for something else." Epstein killed himself in his jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking minors. JD Vance has his say Amid the fallout, vice president JD Vance said Musk was making a "huge mistake" going after Mr Trump but characterised him as an "emotional guy" who got frustrated. He made the comments in an interview with comedian and podcaster Theo Von - one of the "manosphere" influencers the Trump team targeted to gain votes with young men during the election. "I hope that eventually Elon comes back into the fold. Maybe that's not possible now because he's gone so nuclear," Mr Vance said. He also claimed that such outbursts "happen to everyone", adding: "I've flown off the handle way worse than Elon Musk did in the last 24 hours." 'Big ugly spending bill' Musk and Mr Trump's relationship broke down publicly on Thursday, just days after the Tesla and SpaceX chief executive left his role as a special government employee. In a fiery exchange, Musk posted a series of messages on X criticising the president's signature tax and spending bill as a "big ugly spending bill". President Trump posted on Truth Social, saying Musk had been "wearing thin" and claimed he "asked him to leave" his government position - something Musk denied. Musk then hit back with his claim about the US president appearing in the Epstein files. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the comment in a statement. "This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted," she said. "The president is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again." The spat hit Tesla shares, which closed down 14.3% on Thursday, losing about $150bn (£111bn) in value. In an interview with ABC News, Mr Trump was asked about reports a phone call was scheduled between him and Musk on Friday.
NBC News
3 hours ago
- NBC News
Trump says he thinks the government has a ‘very easy case' against Kilmar Abrego Garcia
President Donald Trump on Saturday said that it wasn't his decision to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, back to the U.S. to face federal charges, saying the 'Department of Justice decided to do it that way, and that's fine.' 'That wasn't my decision,' Trump said of Abrego Garcia's return in a phone call with NBC News on Saturday. 'It should be a very easy case' for federal prosecutors, the president added. Trump added that he did not speak with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele about Abrego Garcia's return, even though the two men spoke about Abrego Garcia during an April meeting in the Oval Office. His remarks came after Abrego Garcia arrived back in the U.S. on Friday and was charged in an indictment alleging he transported people who were not legally in the country. The indictment came amid a protracted legal battle over whether to bring him back from El Salvador that escalated all the way up to the Supreme Court. Abrego Garcia's family and lawyers have called him a family man, while Trump and his administration have alleged that he is a member of the gang MS-13. The case drew national attention amid the Trump administration's broader push for mass deportations. After Abrego Garcia's deportation, lawyers for the Trump administration said he was deported in an ' administrative error,' as Abrego Garcia had previous legal protection from deportation to El Salvador. Still, the Trump administration did not attempt to bring Abrego Garcia back, even as the Supreme Court ruled that it had to ' facilitate ' his return to the U.S. Democrats, including Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., had for weeks said that Abrego Garcia was denied due process when he was detained and deported, arguing that he should have been allowed to defend himself from deportation before he was sent to El Salvador. Trump on Saturday called Van Hollen, who went to visit Abrego Garcia in jail in El Salvador in April, a 'loser' for defending the man's right to due process. 'He's a loser. The guy's a loser. They're going to lose because of that same thing. That's not what people want to hear,' the president said about Van Hollen. 'He's trying to defend a man who's got a horrible record of abuse, abuse of women in particular. No, he's a total loser, this guy.' On Friday, Attorney General Pam Bondi alleged that Abrego Garcia 'was a smuggler of humans and children and women. He made over 100 trips, the grand jury found, smuggling people throughout our country.' In a statement Friday, Abrego Garcia's lawyer called Bondi's move 'an abuse of power, not justice.'
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Diddy would be released in DAYS after Trump pardon but a ‘free ride' out of jail will not help his future, lawyer warns
SEAN 'Diddy' Combs would be a free man within days if Donald Trump decides to pardon him but it would not bode well for his future, a lawyer has warned. Trump surprised reporters by commenting on Diddy's court case during a news conference with Elon Musk last week and revealed he would consider whether the rapper's been "mistreated." 5 5 Combs has been pictured with the President at several events over the years but they had not been in contact leading up to his arrest for alleged sex trafficking and racketeering. Asked if he would consider pardoning him, Trump said, "Nobody's asked. But I know people are thinking about it. I think some people have been very close to asking." He said he felt the former music mogul used to like him "a lot" but wasn't his biggest fan after he went into politics. Despite this, Trump said, "I would certainly look at the facts. If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don't like me, it wouldn't have any impact on me." The U.S. Sun spoke to Los Angeles-based trial attorney Tre Lovell for his opinion on a possible pardon and how that would play out. He said, "The pardoning power is one of the ultimate powers of the President. It's virtually unchecked, and he can do it. 'He doesn't even have to wait for the conviction. He can do it at any time after somebody's charged, even after the crime occurs. "So the second that President Trump determines that he's gonna pardon him [Diddy]. It happens immediately. QUICK RELEASE "They basically sign the pardon, it would be sent to Diddy, and assuming he accepted, which obviously he would, then that's that." Lovell said if he had already been convicted there would be an administrative process through the Federal Bureau of Prisons to arrange his release and transportation but it wouldn't be long before he was out. Diddy 'gave hotel guard $100k in paper bag to bury Cassie beating video' "There may be a few hours, maybe one or two days sometimes that they can take time just because of the bureaucracy," he said. Combs, 55, is currently on trial in New York after pleading not guilty to five counts of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He is facing up to life in prison if convicted. The jury has heard from several witnesses in the case so far, including Combs' ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, after a damning video emerged of him beating her during their relationship. Diddy locked eyes with us as he entered the courtroom - inside the trial of the decade By Israel S-Rodriguez, Senior News Reporter at The U.S. Sun: The federal sex trafficking trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs began with jury selection on May 5. Combs is standing trial at the Southern District of New York Courthouse in Lower Manhattan - an intimidating federal courthouse where the cases of Ghislaine Maxwell, Donald Trump, and Bernard Madoff, among others, were tried. Once a powerful founder of a music and business empire, Combs has been reduced to a defendant, inmate 37452-054, stripped of his mogul status, and now standing trial on five federal charges with the full wrath of the United States government against him. When I attended Day 3 of jury selection at the federal courthouse on May 7, the buzz around the start of the trial was palpable. Hours before the courthouse opened its doors, more than a dozen reporters and members of the public stood in line in hopes of securing a seat in the gallery for the high-profile trial. As you walk through the glass door entrance of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse, you are met by bulletproof vest-clad court officers. All visitors must separate their electronic devices from their personal belongings, which are passed through a metal detector. Visitors walk through a metal detector before a court officer hands them a poker chip. The courthouse uses a poker chip system to sort the number of electronic devices visitors are in possession of. Electronic devices, such as Bluetooth-powered headphones, voice recorders, laptops, cellphones, and smart watches, are confiscated before you're allowed to enter the courthouse's main hallway. As about a half-dozen reporters and I waited in the gallery for jury selection, we witnessed how Combs entered the courtroom shackle-free. Combs entered with his hands pressed together, greeted his defense team before he examined the gallery, and locked eyes with reporters and potential jurors. The 55-year-old disgraced Bad Boy Records executive was attentive and engaged with his counsel as they grilled dozens of potential jurors. As jury selection wrapped up for the day, Combs embraced each of his female defense attorneys before he mouthed "thank you" to a handful of supporters in the gallery. I attended trial again as opening statements got underway on May 12 and the world media waited anxiously outside the federal courthouse before the sun rose in Lower Manhattan. A line stretched down the block from the federal courthouse as some members of the media and from the public camped out overnight to try to obtain a coveted seat inside the gallery. At least three overflow rooms were made available for reporters and the public, who are eager to witness the prosecutions case against the music mogul. At least half a dozen members of Combs' family arrived at the courthouse as spectators filed in single order to enter the federal building to turn over all their electronic devices. Combs' trial is being held on the 26th floor in Judge Arun Subramanian's courtroom and is expected to last for eight weeks. We'll bring it all to you on The U.S. Sun. He said it wouldn't make sense for Trump to pardon him halfway into the prosecution's case when the jury hasn't yet heard all of the facts, adding that it would be "premature" to act now. "I was very surprised that Trump is considering pardoning Diddy, especially in light of the fact the trial is ongoing now,' he said. "We are hearing witness after witness after witness testify to some horrible things. 'It would be a slap in the face to the witnesses, to the victims, to a lot of people to just pardon him, you know. "It would seem that he would want to wait until the trial is over, and if there's not a conviction then there's no need for him to get involved.' He went on to say, "There's one thing that Americans stand for … it's accountability, and if he were pardoned in light of what's been happening, these allegations and this testimony, there would be a sense of loss and lack of accountability. "And so I don't know how that would sit with most Americans with respect to President Trump." But Lovell said he doesn't think anybody would be surprised if Trump pardoned Diddy. "He's pardoned a lot of people that people take umbrage [with]. And he's not worried about a re-election, so I don't really think it would affect him. "He may have some more detractors, but I don't think he really cares, and his conduct thus far shows he's going to do what he wants to do." Lovell feels if Diddy is acquitted it would be a sense of victory and it would be easier to acclimate to society because he will have been vindicated in court. However, if he's convicted and pardoned by Trump it would have more of a negative impact on him. "It'll be a little tougher because people will think he got a free ride and beat the system," he said. But regardless, Lovell feels "Diddy's reputation has been irreparably harmed" and he will never be the billionaire music mogul he was once admired by millions. It comes after... Cassie Ventura gave birth after she gave four days of grueling testimony about her relationship with Sean Combs during his federal sex trafficking trial Ventura testified Combs forced her to participate in "freak-offs" where he watched her have sex with male escorts Celebrities like Prince, Mike Myers, and Bill Gates have been mentioned throughout the trial Kid Cudi testified about how his Porsche was blown up after Combs flew into a jealous rage when he dated Cassie Trump has pardoned several high-profile inmates in recent months, including reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley three years after they were convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion. Combs' federal trial has been ongoing for more than three weeks and there are more witnesses set to testify. More and more damning accusations have emerged about the alleged violence he inflicted behind closed doors. The trial opened up with powerful testimony from Ventura, Combs' ex-girlfriend of over a decade. The singer, 38, alleged Combs forced her to participate in weekly drug-fueled sex marathons, which he called "freak-offs," with male escorts. Ventura, who said she did not want to engage in the sex acts, told the court her music career took a backseat due to the toll the orgies took on her day, testifying how she needed days at a time to recover. Prosecutors also released photos of the injuries Ventura allegedly suffered from Combs' years-long abuse, including a gash on her forehead that had become a permanent scar. Combs has remained mostly stone-faced in court as his lawyers insist he is innocent. The prosecution's case is slated to rest the week of June 9. If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network) at 800-656-HOPE (4673). Diddy's charges explained by a lawyer Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani explained the set of charges Diddy is facing to The U.S. Sun: "Diddy is facing three charges, or three sets of charges. "The first is racketeering, which you typically see with organized crime enterprises - so the mob, cartels, street gangs -but we're seeing it a lot more in sex trafficking cases. "And you don't need an organization like the mob, as long as it's an enterprise, which is something that consists of two or more people, and they engage in two or more RICO predicate acts, that's enough for racketeering. "Racketeering is a powerful charge because it allows the government to bring in all sorts of evidence of criminal activity, as well as all sorts of people, into that racketeering conspiracy. "And anyone who's a co-conspirator, they're on the hook for any criminal acts committed in furtherance of the conspiracy. "The most serious charge, though, is sex trafficking. "What separates sex trafficking from normal sex? Adults, of course, can consent to any type of sex, no matter how freaky it is. But sex trafficking has one of three elements: force, fraud, or coercion. "And the government is saying that Diddy used force to force these men and women to participate in these freak-offs, and he coerced them by drugging them. "The least serious charge is the prostitution, sometimes called the Man Act, and that's engaging in prostitution using some sort of interstate commerce across state lines. That obviously is unlawful. "Typically, you don't see federal cases for prostitution only, which is why it's the least serious of the crimes." 5 5
