Kilmer Armando Abrego Garcia, a citizen of El Salvador, who was deported earlier this year, has now returned to the U.S., but in handcuffs this time.
On Friday, Attorney General Pam Bondy announced that the 29-year-old Abrego Garcia is facing federal charges related to human smuggling and conspiracy.
“Abrego Garcia has arrived in the U.S. to face justice,” Bondy stated. “A judge in the Central District of Tennessee has issued a sealed charge against him for alien smuggling and conspiracy.”
The indictment claims Garcia played a “significant role” in a human smuggling operation that has been active for almost ten years. Bondy has indicated he has been a full-time smuggler who transported over 100 individuals, including women and children, and people affiliated with the MS-13 gang throughout the United States.
“He traded the innocence of a minor child for profit,” Bondy mentioned, noting that the children involved were trafficked. The sealed indictment includes two felony charges.
Tennessee Highway Patrol bodycam footage from a 2022 traffic stop shows eight other men in his vehicle, raising suspicions among officers. One trooper commented, “He’s carrying these people for money.”
During the stop, authorities discovered $1,400 in cash and flagged Garcia at the National Crime Information Center, where a warning linked him to gang activity was noted. Immigration officials were called, although they did not respond.
“What has changed since then?” Bondy rhetorically inquired at a press conference. “Donald Trump is now the president, and our borders are safe again.”
The judge also reviewed allegations that Garcia had been involved in trafficking firearms and drugs and sought explicit images of minors. He has also been accused by co-conspirators of participating in the murder of a rival gang member’s mother.
Bondy expressed gratitude toward President Naive Bukele of El Salvador for collaborating with U.S. authorities to facilitate Garcia’s arrest after the U.S. issued a warrant. “This exemplifies American justice,” she remarked.
This latest development follows controversy from March concerning Abrego Garcia’s deportation to El Salvador, which many left-wing politicians deemed unjust.
Senator Van Hollen, a Democrat, remarked on the administration’s actions, stating, “The Trump administration has skirted the Supreme Court and our constitution for months. Today, it seems they have finally adopted a more lenient approach regarding the court orders and due process rights for all in the U.S.”
Van Hollen had traveled to El Salvador to meet Garcia earlier this year, facing online backlash after being seen enjoying a margarita in a restaurant.
“This isn’t about the individual; it’s about his constitutional rights,” he emphasized, asserting that the administration needs to uphold these claims in court.
After his deportation, Garcia was reportedly sent to the notorious Cecot MegaPrison in El Salvador, despite a 2019 court ruling temporarily blocking his removal due to claims of persecution fear.
Court records indicate that Garcia was ordered to enter the U.S. illegally in 2011 and was subsequently deported in 2019.
If convicted of the current charges, officials confirmed that he would serve his sentence in the U.S. before being sent back to El Salvador.
Recently, media and Democratic figures have been criticized for their perceived support of MS-13 members, human traffickers, and serial domestic abusers like Kilmer Abrego Garcia.
“Today, the U.S. confronts Kilmer Abrego Garcia with overwhelming evidence, and he is being charged by a major judge for human smuggling, including that of children,” a statement highlighted.
