Kilmar Abrego Garcia pleads not guilty to human smuggling charges

[BumRushDaShow]

Last edited Fri Jun 13, 2025, 12:42 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: ABC News

June 13, 2025, 12:22 PM


Kilmar Abrego Garcia pleaded not guilty Friday to human smuggling charges, one week after he was brought back to the Unites States from detention in El Salvador.

The 29-year-old has been the subject of a prolonged legal battle since he was deported in March to El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison -- despite a 2019 court order barring his deportation to that country due to fear of persecution -- after the Trump administration claimed he was a member of the criminal gang MS-13, which his family and attorneys deny.

The Trump administration, after arguing for nearly two months that it was unable to being him back, returned him the U.S. last week to face a two-count indictment alleging that, while living with his wife and children in Maryland, he participated in a yearslong conspiracy to haul undocumented migrants from Texas to the interior of the country.

Federal prosecutors say the conspiracy involved the domestic transport of thousands of noncitizens from Mexico and Central America, including some children, in exchange for thousands of dollars. Prosecutors have also asked the judge in the case, Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes, to schedule a pre-trial detention hearing in order to determine if Abrego Garcia should continue to be held in custody pending trial. Judge Holmes is expected to consider that motion on Friday.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/kilmar-abrego-garcia-scheduled-arraigned-charges-human-smuggling/story?id=122791176

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Article updated.

Original article/headline -

Kilmar Abrego Garcia scheduled to be arraigned on charges of human smuggling

June 13, 2025, 5:02 AM


One week after he was brought back to the Unites States from detention in El Salvador, Kilmar Abrego Garcia is scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Tennessee on charges of human smuggling.

The 29-year-old has been the subject of a prolonged legal battle since he was deported in March to El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison -- despite a 2019 court order barring his deportation to that country due to fear of persecution -- after the Trump administration claimed he was a member of the criminal gang MS-13, which his family and attorneys deny.

The Trump administration, after arguing for nearly two months that it was unable to being him back, returned him the U.S. last week to face a two-count indictment alleging that, while living with his wife and children in Maryland, he participated in a yearslong conspiracy to haul undocumented migrants from Texas to the interior of the country.

Federal prosecutors say the conspiracy involved the domestic transport of thousands of noncitizens from Mexico and Central America, including some children, in exchange for thousands of dollars.

[D. Spaulding]

1. The administration is likely desperate to make sure

this guy isn't set free to be interviewed by the press. There's talk that even if he is released on bond, ICE will swoop him up and detain him.

[unblock]

2. hauling people from texas to elsewhere in the country in exchange for money?

so, driving a bus or being an uber driver is now a major crime?

there's lots of implication in the article, but it's not clear exactly what crime he's being charged with. smuggling weapons and drugs certainly sounds illegal, but the article makes that seem besides the point. smuggling people would certainly be illegal if it's against their will, but the article doesn't make it clear that he's being accused of that.

i don't know about this case of this guy, he might be a major criminal, or not, but i certainly don't trust donnie's gang of known crooks and villains to properly prosecute a case even if the guy turns out to be guilty as hell.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. DOJ has concocted a whole wild story

in order to find a way to save face since they went so far out on the limb to make him a "scare" example and it backfired.

[Unwind Your Mind]

4. That feels true to me

I’m interested to see what prosecutors have to say in the arraignment

I wonder, is the defense allowed to request dismissal in an arraignment?

[unblock]

7. I think dismissals happen more often at preliminary hearing (after arraignment)

Arraignment is pretty basic procedural stuff.

Maybe if the charges were based on an expired law or something blatantly wrong as a matter of law, dismissal could happen at arraignment. I'd think this would be very rare.

Ianal

[twodogsbarking]

5. This is how it is supposed to work, by law.

The purpose of the arraignment is to ensure the defendant understands the charges and their rights, and to set a tentative schedule for future court proceedings.

[Botany]

6. I thought he was a member of MS 13?

Just making shit up in order to save face. Mr. García is going to be a very rich man after
he sues the D o J for what they put him through.

[PSPS]

8. LOL. Dream on!

By the time any successful suit is appealed to death, the treasury will be fully emptied into the trump family pocket.