Tennessee police footage from a traffic stop in 2022 has surfaced, featuring Kilmer Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March. Despite his efforts to persuade the Trump administration to assist in his return, he remains imprisoned there.
President Trump and key administration figures referenced this traffic stop to suggest that Garcia is associated with the MS-13 gang and has a criminal background.
At 29, Garcia was pulled over in Tennessee three years ago for driving 75 mph on an interstate where the speed limit was 65 mph. Although he was warned about having an expired license, he was not arrested or charged.
The bodycam footage reveals Tennessee officials discussing the possibility that Garcia might be involved in human trafficking, as he was driving an SUV with around eight passengers and no luggage. They questioned him about the passengers’ destination, where they were headed, and his own whereabouts.
Garcia informed the officers that he was driving his coworkers to Maryland for a construction job in St. Louis, according to the video.
