ABC News

Kilmar Abrego Garcia pleads not guilty to human smuggling charges

The Hill

5349153 Abrego Garcia Not Guilty Plea

USA Today

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, at heart of deportation debate, pleads not guilty to human smuggling

The New Republic

DHS Agent Makes Damning Confession on Timeline in Abrego Garcia Case

MacFarlaneNews

Intelligencer

The Highly Political Prosecution of Kilmar Abrego Garcia

Breitbart

DOJ Returns Kilmar Abrego Garcia to U.S. to Face Human Smuggling Charges

Metaculus

Will at least twice as many deportations by U.S. ICE occur in Fiscal Year 2025 compared with Fiscal Year 2024?

Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been returned to the United States to face criminal charges

BBC News

Kilmar Abrego Garcia and MS-13: What is alleged and what we know

Donald Trump

Trump 2024 Election Promises

<h2></h2>

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the 29-year-old Salvadoran national who was recently returned to the United States after being wrongly deported in March to El Salvador, Friday pleaded not guilty to federal human smuggling charges in Nashville federal court.

National Review

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the 29-year-old Salvadoran national who was recently returned to the United States after being wrongly deported in March to El Salvador, Friday pleaded not guilty to federal human smuggling charges in Nashville federal court.

Federal prosecutors allege Garcia participated in a conspiracy from 2016 to 2025, making over 100 trips transporting undocumented immigrants from Texas to other parts of the country for financial gain, earning $1,000 to $1,500 per trip, according to testimony.

Foxnews

Federal prosecutors allege Garcia participated in a conspiracy from 2016 to 2025, making over 100 trips transporting undocumented immigrants from Texas to other parts of the country for financial gain, earning $1,000 to $1,500 per trip, according to testimony.

Garcia was deported to El Salvador on March 15 despite a 2019 immigration court order preventing his removal to that country due to fears of gang persecution.

Garcia was deported to El Salvador on March 15 despite a 2019 immigration court order preventing his removal to that country due to fears of gang persecution.

The Trump administration initially admitted Abrego Garcia's deportation was an "administrative error," but had resisted court orders to return Garcia for months. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a federal judge's directive to facilitate his return. The administration brought him back last week after a May 21 grand jury indictment was unsealed.

The Trump administration initially admitted Abrego Garcia's deportation was an "administrative error," but had resisted court orders to return Garcia for months. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a federal judge's directive to facilitate his return. The administration brought him back last week after a May 21 grand jury indictment was unsealed.

Garcia's attorneys dispute the administration's allegations that he's an MS-13 gang member, arguing that the claims are based on a confidential informant's testimony. Meanwhile, prosecutors seek to keep him detained pending trial, citing flight risk and potential witness intimidation concerns.

Garcia's attorneys dispute the administration's allegations that he's an MS-13 gang member, arguing that the claims are based on a confidential informant's testimony. Meanwhile, prosecutors seek to keep him detained pending trial, citing flight risk and potential witness intimidation concerns.

This comes while <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.verity.news/story/2025/abrego-garcia-returns-to-us-amid-legal-battle-over-deportation">Abrego Garcia's lawyers in his civil case are seeking contempt fines</a> against the Trump administration for not complying sooner with the court order to return him to the United States. In a filing, they called the administration's defiance "vocal and sustained and flagrant."

This comes while Abrego Garcia's lawyers in his civil case are seeking contempt fines against the Trump administration for not complying sooner with the court order to return him to the United States. In a filing, they called the administration's defiance "vocal and sustained and flagrant."

ABC News #

NBC #

The Hill #

USA Today #

The New Republic #

Intelligencer #

Breitbart #1310

Metaculus #

CNN #

BBC News #

The charges stem from a November 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee where Garcia was driving a Chevrolet Suburban with nine Hispanic men, telling officers they were construction workers returning from St. Louis, though license plate data showed the vehicle had been in Houston, not St. Louis.</span

The charges stem from a November 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee where Garcia was driving a Chevrolet Suburban with nine Hispanic men, telling officers they were construction workers returning from St. Louis, though license plate data showed the vehicle had been in Houston, not St. Louis.

Federal prosecutors allege Garcia participated in a years-long conspiracy from 2016 to 2025, making over 100 trips transporting undocumented immigrants from Texas to other parts of the country for financial gain, earning $1,000 to $1,500 per trip according to testimony.</span

Federal prosecutors allege Garcia participated in a years-long conspiracy from 2016 to 2025, making over 100 trips transporting undocumented immigrants from Texas to other parts of the country for financial gain, earning $1,000 to $1,500 per trip according to testimony.

Garcia was initially deported to El Salvador on March 15 despite a 2019 immigration court order preventing his removal to that country due to fears of gang persecution, prompting his wife to file a lawsuit and federal courts to order his return.</span

Garcia was initially deported to El Salvador on March 15 despite a 2019 immigration court order preventing his removal to that country due to fears of gang persecution, prompting his wife to file a lawsuit and federal courts to order his return.

The Trump administration resisted court orders to return Garcia for months, with the Supreme Court upholding a federal judge's directive to facilitate his return, before bringing him back last week after a May 21 grand jury indictment was unsealed.</span

National Review #

The Trump administration resisted court orders to return Garcia for months, with the Supreme Court upholding a federal judge's directive to facilitate his return, before bringing him back last week after a May 21 grand jury indictment was unsealed.

Garcia's attorneys dispute allegations that he is an MS-13 gang member, arguing the claims are based on a confidential informant's testimony, while prosecutors seek to keep him detained pending trial, citing flight risk and potential witness intimidation concerns.</span

Garcia's attorneys dispute allegations that he is an MS-13 gang member, arguing the claims are based on a confidential informant's testimony, while prosecutors seek to keep him detained pending trial, citing flight risk and potential witness intimidation concerns.

Garcia ran a sophisticated human smuggling operation for nearly a decade, transporting thousands of illegal immigrants including MS-13 gang members across the country for profit. The criminal charges are based on solid evidence from a 2022 traffic stop and extensive investigation, not political motivation. This shows the administration's commitment to securing borders and prosecuting those who exploit our immigration system.

Garcia ran a sophisticated human smuggling operation for nearly a decade, transporting thousands of illegal immigrants including MS-13 gang members across the country for profit. The criminal charges are based on solid evidence from a 2022 traffic stop and extensive investigation, not political motivation. This shows the administration's commitment to securing borders and prosecuting those who exploit our immigration system.

Abrego Garcia Pleads Not Guilty To Federal Human Trafficking Charges

Salvadoran Man Pleads Not Guilty to Human Smuggling Charges

Crime

Immigration & refugees

United States of America

This case exposes the Trump administration's lawless approach to immigration enforcement. Abrego Garcia was illegally deported, and only after his case gained national attention did the government scramble to build a criminal case against him. And although the government has been putblicly ying him to several heinous crimes, it has only charged Abrego Garcia with trafficking, which does nothing to validate its treatment of him.

This case exposes the Trump administration's lawless approach to immigration enforcement. Abrego Garcia was illegally deported, and only after his case gained national attention did the government scramble to build a criminal case against him. And although the government has been putblicly ying him to several heinous crimes, it has only charged Abrego Garcia with trafficking, which does nothing to validate its treatment of him.

Returned Salvadoran Migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia Arraigned Federal Human Trafficking Charges Tennesse

There's a 20% chance that at least twice as many deportations by U.S. ICE will occur in fiscal year 2025 compared with fiscal year 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

There's a 20% chance that at least twice as many deportations by U.S. ICE will occur in fiscal year 2025 compared with fiscal year 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Abrego Garcia Pleads Not Guilty to Human Smuggling Charges

SalvadoranAbrego ManGarcia Pleads Not Guilty to Human Smuggling Charges

The Spin

Metaculus Prediction

The Controversies

Articles on this story

Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters
Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters