3 days ago
Kilmar Abrego Garcia returns to US to face criminal charges
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, has landed in the United States to face criminal charges, according to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
An indictment, which was recently filed in the U.S. District Court Middle District of Tennessee, reports that Abrego Garcia, 29, conspired to bring undocumented migrants to the United States from around 2016 to 2025.
Body cam footage released from 2022 THP traffic stop of Maryland man deported to El Salvador
Abrego Garcia and co-conspirators reportedly collected financial payments for illegal transportation and knowingly transferred the money between one another. The indictment alleges that the 29-year-old used his status in MS-13 to further his criminal activity.
According to the court filing, Abrego Garcia also participated in varying transportation routes within the United States. Co-conspirators also alleged that Abrego Garcia trafficked narcotics, abused women and had been associated with child sexual abuse, Bondi said.
garcia indictmentDownload
On May 2, the Tennessee Highway Patrol released video of traffic stop dated Nov. 30, 2022, which involved Abrego Garcia in Cookeville. The 29-year-old was reportedly pulled over for speeding in a vehicle with eight passengers and told state troopers they'd been working in Missouri.
As seen on video, THP troopers could be heard discussing among themselves their suspicions of human trafficking since the group was traveling without luggage. However, the 29-year-old was not charged with a crime that day.
When asked about what's changed since the Department of Homeland Security declined to charge Abrego Garcia, Bondi told reporters that it's due to Trump's presidency.
'Thanks to the bright light that has been shined on Abrego Garcia, this investigation continued with actually amazing police work and we were able to track this case and stop this international smuggling ring from continuing,' Bondi said, citing 'recently found facts.'
The indictment alleges that over the past nine years, Abrego Garcia transported undocumented migrants and children on approximately more than 100 trips between Texas to Maryland and other states. Bondi claimed that this was his 'full-time job' and that he was associated with a larger 'smuggling' group.
'The defendant traded the innocence of children for profit,' Bondi said.
⏩
Abrego Garcia has since been charged with 'conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and unlawful transportation of undocumented aliens.'
An arrest warrant, which was signed in Nashville and obtained by News 2, states that Abrego Garcia was to be arrested and brought before United States magistrate judge.
Bondi said in a Friday press conference that the U.S. had presented El Salvador with an arrest warrant and they agreed to return him to the U.S.
'This is what American justice looks like,' Bondi said.
Bondi added that upon completion of his sentence, officials anticipate that he will be returned to El Salvador.
The moves come more than two months after the Trump administration acknowledged in court filings that Abrego Garcia's deportation was due to an 'administrative error.'
No additional details were immediately released. The Tennessee Attorney General declined to comment on the matter.
📲 Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go.📧 Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.💻 for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee.
This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
