Deported, Then Indicted: Feds Charge Kilmar Abrego Garcia After Admitting They Deported Him by Mistake

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man who was wrongfully deported from Maryland in March, is now being brought back to the U.S.—but not for justice. This time, he’s facing federal charges.

More than two months after the Trump administration admitted they deported him in error, Abrego Garcia has been indicted in Tennessee for allegedly transporting undocumented migrants across state lines. According to a sealed indictment, the case alleges that he played a role in a years-long operation moving migrants from Texas to other parts of the country—some of whom were minors and alleged gang members.

The case dates back to a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee. Abrego Garcia was pulled over while driving a group of passengers, raising suspicions among police. Though he wasn’t charged at the time, the stop kicked off a federal investigation. Now prosecutors claim he worked with a man named Jose Ramon Hernandez-Reyes, who is already in federal prison for similar crimes. Hernandez allegedly told investigators that Abrego Garcia helped him move undocumented migrants around the U.S. for years.

All of this comes after Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador’s high-security prison system—despite a 2019 court order saying he should not be sent back due to fear of persecution. His family and legal team insist he is not affiliated with gangs and say his deportation violated his rights. After court battles, the government was ordered to bring him back to the U.S.

But instead of restoring his due process, the Department of Justice is now hitting him with criminal charges. Abrego Garcia’s legal team says this move only highlights the government’s mishandling of his case and the broader immigration system.

He’s expected to face trial after returning to the U.S. following diplomatic talks between the U.S. and El Salvador. His family, including his U.S. citizen wife and child, remains in Maryland.