Kilmar Abrego Garcia is back in the U.S. to face smuggling charges

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who was previously deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration, is back in the U.S.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed his return during a brief press conference Friday at the Department of Justice.

“This is what American justice looks like,” Bondi declared, thanking Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele for cooperating with U.S. authorities in facilitating Abrego Garcia’s return.

Bondi announced that Abrego Garcia was indicted on May 21 by a federal grand jury in Tennessee. The charges allege that over a period of nine years, Abrego Garcia engaged in illegal activity by transporting individuals without legal immigration status across the country.

Specifically, the indictment accuses him of “conspiracy to unlawfully transport illegal aliens for financial gain” and “unlawful transportation of illegal aliens for financial gain.”

Bondi stated that Abrego Garcia will now face a criminal trial in the U.S., and if convicted, will serve time in an American prison before being deported again to El Salvador.

Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, Abrego Garcia’s attorney, blasted the Justice Department’s handling of the case.

“Now, after months of delay and secrecy, they’re bringing him back — not to correct their error, but to prosecute him,” he told NPR. “This shows that they were playing games with the court all along. Due process means the chance to defend yourself before you’re punished, not after. This is an abuse of power, not justice.”

Abrego Garcia’s case has become a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration enforcement. Under the Trump administration’s push to expedite deportations and tighten immigration policy, critics argue that essential constitutional protections — including the right to due process — have been weakened or ignored altogether.

Immigration advocates see the case as emblematic of a system increasingly focused on removal rather than justice, while the administration continues to frame such prosecutions as necessary for national security and law enforcement.

As the case moves forward, it is likely to remain in the spotlight, symbolizing the high stakes of U.S. immigration policy battles and the tension between law enforcement goals and civil liberties.

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