Kilmar Abrego Garcia Alleges Vindictive Prosecution Amid Smuggling Charges and Wrongful Expulsion
Kilmar Abrego Garcia's lawyers seek dismissal of smuggling charges, alleging vindictive prosecution after his wrongful expulsion to El Salvador, violating a U.S. immigration judge's order.
Overview
Kilmar Abrego Garcia faces criminal charges for allegedly transporting immigrants, including minors, who illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border as part of a smuggling conspiracy.
His legal team is seeking dismissal of these charges, asserting that the prosecution is "vindictive and selective," stemming from a 2022 traffic stop.
Abrego Garcia claims he was wrongfully expelled to El Salvador, a move he states violated a U.S. immigration judge's order, fueling his vindictive prosecution accusation.
The 2022 incident involved Abrego Garcia driving a vehicle with nine passengers, which subsequently led to the current federal smuggling charges against him.
His lawyers argue that the U.S. government's actions against him are a form of vindictive prosecution, impacting his ongoing legal battle and rights.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story by emphasizing the defense's claims of "vindictive prosecution" against Kilmar Abrego Garcia. They highlight the alleged "wrongful expulsion" and "violation" of a judge's order by the Trump administration, portraying the government's actions as potentially unlawful and retaliatory. The narrative prioritizes the defense's perspective, with minimal counter-arguments from the prosecution.
Sources (4)
FAQ
Kilmar Abrego Garcia faces federal criminal charges for allegedly transporting immigrants, including minors, who illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border as part of a smuggling conspiracy, stemming from a 2022 traffic stop where he was driving a vehicle with nine passengers without luggage during a three-day journey from Texas to Maryland.
His legal team is seeking dismissal on the grounds of vindictive and selective prosecution, arguing that the government's actions punish him for challenging his wrongful expulsion to El Salvador, which violated a U.S. immigration judge's order protecting him.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia was wrongfully expelled to El Salvador in March 2025 by the Trump administration despite a 2019 U.S. immigration judge's order that shielded him from deportation due to likely threats of gang violence; he was imprisoned without trial in a Salvadoran maximum security center and later returned to the U.S. to face charges.
The Trump administration publicly accused him of being a member of the MS-13 gang based on a 2019 immigration court determination, which he denies and was never charged with; this allegation factored into his deportation and public narrative but is disputed in court.
History
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