Kilmar Ábrego García, a 29-year-old immigrant from El Salvador, has been returned to the United States to confront serious federal charges after being mistakenly deported back in March. Accused of being a key player in a human trafficking conspiracy, García faces two counts: conspiracy to transport aliens and unlawful transportation of undocumented individuals.
The return followed an agreement from El Salvador to release him after US authorities presented an arrest warrant, as confirmed by Attorney General Pam Bondi. García's attorney has labeled the charges as "preposterous". The situation garnered political attention, particularly as the White House resisted a Supreme Court order mandating his return following his deportation to a notorious prison in El Salvador, where he was held with over 250 other deported individuals.
The grand jury indictment, unsealed recently in a Tennessee court, claims that García had a significant role in a smuggling operation that allegedly transported thousands of illegal immigrants between various states over a number of years. According to the indictment, the activities date back to 2016, citing that he conducted over 100 transportations of undocumented individuals, including alleged members of the MS-13 gang, which the US has categorized as a foreign terrorist organization.
While García was accused of being involved with MS-13, he has consistently denied such affiliations, and his attorneys argue that he has not been convicted of any crimes related to gang involvement in either the US or El Salvador. Furthermore, Bondi stated that García was also accused of trafficking weapons and narcotics for the gang, although he has not faced prosecution for those claims.
Critics of the deportation argue that García's rights were violated during the immigration process. His attorney Simon Sandoval Moshenberg criticized the government's actions, claiming that the administration "disappeared" him into a foreign prison as a violation of legal protocols. Moshenberg emphasized the need for a fair trial and called for accountability from the government for what he termed an "abuse of power."
García initially entered the US illegally as a teenager and, although he was granted protection from deportation in 2019 based on fears of gang persecution in El Salvador, he was deported amid a crackdown by the Trump administration following the invocation of the Alien Enemies Act. Following an intervention by Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, García's case received renewed attention, reinforcing the notion that this issue extends beyond the individual, touching on broader constitutional rights.
He is anticipated to make a court appearance in Tennessee, where prosecutors will seek to have him held in pretrial custody, citing concerns about potential flight risk and danger to the community. As this case unfolds, García’s return and subsequent prosecution will continue to be closely watched.
