Who is Abrego Garcia? Mistakenly deported by Trump administration, now on the way back to US to face charges

Kilmar Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported from Maryland to El Salvador during the ongoing clampdown on illegal immigration in the United States by the Trump administration. However, he is now traveling back to the country to face fresh charges.

According to an ABC report, Garcia will be facing charges for allegedly transporting undocumented migrants within the United States.

These new charges were filed in Tennessee, long after Garcia's deportation to El Salvador, which happened on March 15. According to Reuters, Garcia's lawyers did not immediately comment on the details of the incident.

Court records show that the charges were formally filed on May 21, over two months after his deportation from the United States.

Later on, Abrego Garcia’s lawyer, Andrew Rossman, said the focus must now shift to ensuring his client is treated fairly under the US legal system.

Rossman said, “Today's action proves what we've known all along - that the administration had the ability to bring him back and just refused to do so.”

What does the indictment say?

The indictment claims that Mr Garcia collaborated with at least five others to help immigrants enter the United States unlawfully and move them from the border to locations across the country.

On Friday (June 6), US Attorney General Pam Bondi highlighted the charges at a news conference. “The grand jury found that over the past nine years, Abrego Garcia has played a significant role in an alien smuggling ring. He made over 100 trips the grand jury found - smuggling people throughout our country... MS-13 [international criminal gang] members, violent gang terrorist organisation members... throughout our country,” she said.

She also added, “He will be prosecuted in our country, sentenced in our country if convicted and then returned after completion of his sentence.”

According to the US Attorney General, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele approved Mr Garcia’s extradition after US authorities submitted a formal arrest request to his administration.