WASHINGTON (AP) – Kilmer Abrego Garcia, who was incorrectly deported to El Salvador, has become a political flashpoint in the Trump administration’s enhanced immigration enforcement and returned to the United States on Friday, facing criminal charges linked to what the Trump administration described as a significant human smuggling operation that unlawfully brought immigrants into the country.
His unexpected release from El Salvador marked the conclusion of one chapter and the beginning of another in the saga, leading to a notable standoff between Trump officials and the judiciary.
This update follows the presentation of a federal warrant for Abrego Garcia to El Salvador’s President Naive Bukele, originating from Tennessee. Abrego Garcia played a crucial role in smuggling immigrants for profit, and he is anticipated to be indicted in the U.S. If convicted, officials stated he would be sent back to El Salvador after the legal proceedings.
“This is a testament to American justice,” remarked Attorney General Pam Bondy while announcing Abrego Garcia’s return and the final indictment in the Great Ju trial.
Attorneys representing Abrego Garcia criticized the case as “baseless.”
“The judge should not be able to see the evidence and conclude that this metal worker is the head of an international MS-13 smuggling conspiracy,” argued Attorney Simon Sandoval Moshenberg.
Federal Judge Barbara Holmes in Nashville, Tennessee, decided that Abrego Garcia would remain detained until at least the following Friday for a custody hearing.
Abrego Garcia appeared in court wearing a short-sleeved white button-down shirt. When queried about his understanding of the charges, he responded, “She. Low Enty End.” The interpreter affirmed, “Yes, I understand.”
Democrats and immigration rights advocates, alongside several lawmakers, including Senator Chris Van Hollen from Maryland, where Abrego Garcia had lived for many years, called for his release. A federal judge had mandated his return in April, and the Supreme Court declined to hear an emergency appeal, instructing the government to facilitate his return.
Nonetheless, the news of Abrego Garcia’s return for prosecution, which was ordered by an immigration court due to concerns of local gang persecution, was met with disappointment by his legal representatives.
On Friday, June 6, 2025, Kilmer Abrego Garcia was charged in Washington, accusing him of illegally transporting people in the United States. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)
The lawsuit also prompted the resignation of the top supervisor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nashville, as reported by sources familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity regarding personnel issues.
Ben Schroeder, the office’s criminal director, refrained from elaborating on the reasons behind his resignation, yet he posted on social media at the time the charges emerged, stating, “It was an incredible privilege to perform the right thing as a Department of Justice prosecutor for the right reasons, and the only job statement I know, for the right reasons.”
He declined to comment when approached by the Associated Press on Friday.
Abrego Garcia’s Lawyer Calls the Accusation “Silly”
“This administration… rather than admitting their mistakes, will not stop at anything, including some of the most absurd charges in the image,” Sandoval-Moshenberg stated.
Ama Frimpong, legal director of group CASA, expressed that Abrego Garcia’s family had mixed feelings about his return to the U.S.
“Let him converse with his wife. Let him reunite with his children. This family has suffered enough,” she said.
Sandoval-Moshenberg noted that Abrego Garcia was among the first, if not the first, to be released from the notorious prison in El Salvador, although he was subsequently detained in another facility.
“It would be fascinating to hear his account regarding the treatment he received,” the attorney remarked.
The indictment filed last month, which was not sealed on Friday, dates back to 2016. It outlines newly revealed claims following Abrego Garcia’s erroneous deportation, subsequent to the repeated assertions from the Trump administration that he was a criminal.
It accuses him of exploiting thousands of individuals illegally residing in the country, including Central American children and MS-13 gang members, in addition to women he allegedly transported. The conspirator also wrote in a brief requesting the judge to keep him incarcerated while awaiting trial, asserting that he was involved in the murder of a mother related to a gang member.
However, the indictment does not charge him concerning those allegations.
“Subsequently, amid an immigration lawsuit in the United States, the defendant contended that he could not return to El Salvador due to fears of retaliation from the 18th Street gang,” the detention memo stated.
“Information acquired by the government partially corroborates the defendant’s concerns about retaliation by the 18th Avenue gangsters; the underlying reason for the retaliation was linked to the defendant’s actions in participating in the murder of the mother of a rival gang member from the 18th Avenue,” the prosecutor outlined.
The charges originated from a 2022 traffic stop where the Tennessee Highway Patrol suspected trafficking. A report published by the Department of Homeland Security in April revealed that none of the passengers in the vehicle had any luggage and did not share the same address as Abrego Garcia.
Abrego Garcia was never charged with a crime; however, according to a DHS report, officials allowed him to drive with warnings solely for expiring driving licenses. He claimed he was transporting individuals from Texas to Maryland and Missouri for construction work, as per the report.
In reaction to the report’s release in April, Abrego Garcia’s wife remarked that he occasionally shuttled groups of workers between offices.
Immigration Rights Advocates vs Trump Administration
Abrego Garcia’s background and personal life became contentious topics. Advocates for immigrant rights condemned his arrest as a symbol of a chaotic and flawed administration, while Trump officials cited his past interactions with law enforcement to portray him as a gang member aiming for expulsion from the country.
Abrego Garcia lived in the U.S. for approximately 14 years, marrying and raising three children with disabilities. Trump administration officials alleged he claimed affiliation with the MS-13 gang based on a 2019 charge from Maryland State Police, a claim that Abrego Garcia has denied, stating he was never charged with the crime according to his lawyer.
A U.S. immigration judge later protected Abrego Garcia from deportation back to El Salvador. However, the Trump administration deported him in March, referring to the circumstances as a “management error”, despite claims that he was linked to MS-13.
Even if Abrego Garcia is convicted of the recent charges, Sandoval Moshenberg stated the Trump administration would still have to return to U.S. immigration court if they wish to deport him to El Salvador. He also hopes that the Maryland cases will proceed, as they evaluate whether a federal judge upholds the ruling for his return.
Abrego Garcia’s return follows the Trump administration’s compliance with court orders to return a Guatemalan man facing fears there; he was repatriated to Mexico. The man, known as OCG in court documents, was reportedly the first individual returned to U.S. custody after being deported since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term.
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Travis Loller, an Associated Press reporter in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report.
Source: apnews.com