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Deported Salvadoran National Returned to US to Face Human Smuggling and Gang-Related Charges

Charlie Kirk Staff

06/06/2025

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Deported Salvadoran National Returned to US to Face Human Smuggling and Gang-Related Charges


A Salvadoran man previously deported from the United States is now back in the country to face federal prosecution on serious charges linked to human smuggling and organized crime.

Federal authorities confirmed Friday that Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, 29, has been returned to U.S. custody and will stand trial on charges of alien smuggling and conspiracy. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the development, stating, “Abrego Garcia has landed in the United States to face justice.”

Abrego Garcia was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Middle District of Tennessee on two felony counts. According to the sealed indictment, unsealed upon his arrival, he is accused of participating in a large-scale smuggling network that operated for nearly a decade. Bondi said Garcia played a “significant role” and made over 100 smuggling trips across the country, transporting women, children, and MS-13 gang members.

“He traded the innocence of minor children for profit,” Bondi said, noting that minors were among those allegedly trafficked.

The case drew national attention following a 2022 Tennessee Highway Patrol traffic stop in which Garcia was pulled over for speeding. Bodycam footage obtained by Fox News Digital showed eight men inside his vehicle. One trooper is heard saying, “He’s hauling these people for money.” Authorities discovered $1,400 in cash and a gang-related alert on Garcia’s record, but ICE reportedly did not respond at the time.

The indictment also accuses Garcia of trafficking drugs and firearms, soliciting explicit images of a minor, and allegedly taking part in the murder of a rival gang member’s mother. A co-conspirator reportedly provided details of Garcia’s involvement.

Garcia was previously deported to El Salvador earlier this year, sparking backlash from some lawmakers. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) criticized the deportation, claiming it violated due process rights. “For months the Trump Administration flouted the Supreme Court and our Constitution,” Van Hollen said. He had traveled to El Salvador and was photographed at a restaurant with what appeared to be margaritas, prompting criticism online.

Van Hollen insisted his actions were about constitutional principles. “As I have repeatedly said, this is not about the man, it’s about his constitutional rights – and the rights of all,” he stated.

A court order issued April 4 required the U.S. government to bring Garcia back to face prosecution. A filing in the District of Maryland confirmed his return: “Abrego Garcia was returned to the United States today, to stand trial,” federal attorneys wrote.

The Trump administration responded forcefully. “The Justice Department’s Grand Jury Indictment against Abrego Garcia proves the unhinged Democrat Party was wrong, and their stenographers in the Fake News Media were once again played like fools,” said a statement from the administration. “Abrego Garcia was never an innocent ‘Maryland Man’ — he is an illegal alien terrorist, gang member, and human trafficker.”

Following his initial deportation, Garcia had been sent to El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison, despite a 2019 court order temporarily blocking his removal over alleged fears of persecution. Records show he first entered the U.S. illegally in 2011 and was ordered deported in 2019.

Officials confirmed that if Garcia is convicted, he will serve his sentence in the United States before being returned to El Salvador. Bondi thanked Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele for cooperating with U.S. authorities to extradite Garcia. “This is what American justice looks like,” she said.

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Charlie Kirk is the Founder and President of Turning Point USA, a national student movement dedicated to empowering young people to promote the principles of free markets and limited government.

Charlie is also the host of “The Charlie Kirk Show” podcast, which regularly ranks among the top-10 news shows on Apple podcast news charts, and is the host of the nationally syndicated daily radio show on the Salem Radio Network live from 12 - 3 PM ET.
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