US authorities have returned Kilmar Ábrego García, 29, to face two federal criminal charges. He was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March during an immigration crackdown.
Officials accuse him of helping transport undocumented migrants from Texas to other parts of the US as part of a trafficking operation. El Salvador released him after the US presented an arrest warrant. His lawyer rejected the charges as “preposterous”.
Criminal charges and allegations
A Tennessee grand jury charged Mr Ábrego García with conspiracy and unlawful transport of undocumented migrants. Prosecutors claim he played a major role in a smuggling network that moved thousands of people.
They say he made over 100 trips between Texas, Maryland, and other states since 2016. Officials also accuse him of moving MS-13 gang members, a group classified by the US as a foreign terrorist organisation.
Although the Trump administration labelled him a gang member, he denies any involvement. Authorities have linked him to weapons and drug trafficking, but he faces no charges for those claims.
Court proceedings and legal dispute
Mr Ábrego García appeared in court in Nashville. His arraignment is scheduled for 13 June. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes will decide if he should remain in custody before trial.
His lawyer, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, criticised the government’s actions. He said officials ignored a court order and used the case to cover up their mistake. “This is an abuse of power, not justice,” he told reporters.
President Donald Trump called Mr Ábrego García a “bad guy” and said the decision to return him was correct.
Deportation and political tensions
Mr Ábrego García entered the US illegally as a teenager. In 2019, immigration agents arrested him in Maryland. A judge later blocked his deportation, citing threats from gangs in El Salvador.
Despite that ruling, the Trump administration deported him on 15 March. Officials used the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law from 1798, to justify the move.
Authorities sent him to El Salvador’s Cecot mega-prison, known for harsh conditions. They later called the deportation an “administrative error” but refused to bring him back.
Senator Chris Van Hollen from Maryland demanded access to Mr Ábrego García. After weeks of pressure, El Salvador transferred him to a different prison and later agreed to send him back.
Van Hollen said the case highlights a broader issue. “This is not about the man,” he said. “It’s about his constitutional rights — and the rights of all.”
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele said he supported the return. “If the US requests the return of a gang member to face charges, of course we wouldn’t refuse,” he wrote on social media.
Prosecutors will ask the court to keep Mr Ábrego García in custody, arguing he poses a threat to the community and may flee before trial.
