He made an appearance at a federal court in Nashville in the evening.
According to confirmation from US Attorney General Pam Bondi during a press conference, the charges against Garcia were filed on May 21—several months after his deportation to El Salvador had taken place.
Garcia’s deportation in March caused widespread outrage in the US due to the aggressive immigration policies of the Trump administration.
Following the US Supreme Court’s order in April, which acknowledged an “administrative error” as the reason for Garcia’s deportation, Trump’s administration facilitated his return to the United States.
Abrego Garcia’s Attorney Calls Charges ‘Baseless’
Even after his return to El Salvador, the White House continued to maintain that Garcia was a member of the criminal gang MS-13 and initially refused to allow his return. However, now they claim he was significantly involved in a smuggling operation for undocumented migrants originating from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and other countries.
On Friday, Attorney General Bondi alleged that Garcia played a key role in a smuggling network, involving the smuggling of “children and women” as well as members of the Salvadoran gang MS-13.
Garcia faces arraignment on June 13, at which time he will enter a plea; until then, he will remain in federal custody.
President Trump, during a conversation with reporters on Friday, commented on Garcia’s criminal history and suggested the administration’s decision to bring him back would serve as an example of the severity of his crimes.
Garcia’s attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, dismissed the criminal charges as “fantastical” and “unsupported,” arguing they relied on statements from individuals currently facing prosecution or in prison.
“This case by the Trump administration was not about correcting their mistakes but prosecuting him,” Sandoval-Moshenberg stated, labeling the situation as “an abuse of power, not justice.”
Bondi confirmed that if Garcia is convicted, he will be deported to El Salvador upon completing his sentence in the US.
Escalating Tensions Between Trump Administration and the Judiciary
Abrego Garcia, who entered the US without authorization around 2011 while fleeing violence in El Salvador, and his US citizen wife are raising three children.
His case exemplifies the increasing conflict between Trump’s administration and the US judiciary.
Garcia was deported to El Salvador amid a crackdown on migration by Trump, despite a judge’s 2019 order protecting him from deportation and holding him at the notorious Cecot mega-prison in El Salvador.
“The pressure on the US and Donald Trump for his return was significant. If Garcia is convicted, the administration will argue they were right to deport him initially,” commented DW’s US correspondent, Benjamin Alvarez Gruber.
Democrats and immigrant rights groups have advocated for Garcia’s release, with Senator Chris Van Hollen traveling to El Salvador to meet with him following initial denials of access.
Subsequently, the US Supreme Court mandated the Trump administration to “facilitate” Garcia’s return.
On Friday, Van Hollen welcomed the administration’s compliance, noting that they now have to present their case in a court of law, which they should have done all along.
Edited by: Wesley Dockery
