US Returns El Salvador Deportee to Face Charges

Kilmar Ábrego García, a 30-year-old Salvadoran migrant, has been returned to the United States to face prosecution on two federal criminal charges. According to Attorney General Pam Bondi, El Salvador agreed to release Mr. Ábrego García after the US presented an arrest warrant. The deportee is accused of participating in a human trafficking conspiracy that moved undocumented migrants from Texas to other parts of the country.

The indictment alleges that Mr. Ábrego García played a significant role in an alien smuggling ring, bringing thousands of illegal immigrants into the US between 2016 and the present. Specifically, he is accused of transporting undocumented individuals between Texas and Maryland and other states over 100 times. The indictment also alleges that he transported members of MS-13, a foreign terrorist organization designated by the US. However, Mr. Ábrego García’s lawyer, Simon Sandoval Moshenberg, called the charges “preposterous” and the events an “abuse of power”.

“The government disappeared Kilmar to a foreign prison in violation of a court order,” Mr. Moshenberg said. “Now, after months of delay and secrecy, they’re bringing him back, not to correct their error but to prosecute him.” Mr. Moshenberg emphasized that the government should give Mr. Ábrego García a full and fair trial in front of the same immigration judge who heard the case in 2019.

President Donald Trump referred to Mr. Ábrego García as a “bad guy” and supported the Department of Justice’s decision to return him to US soil to face trial. Mr. Ábrego García was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March amid an immigration crackdown by the Trump administration, which invoked the Alien Enemies Act. Following a Supreme Court order, the US facilitated his return.

Mr. Ábrego García’s case has sparked debate about constitutional rights and the rights of all individuals. Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen stated, “This is not about the man, it’s about his constitutional rights – and the rights of all.” El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said that if the administration requests the return of a gang member to face charges, “of course we wouldn’t refuse”.

Mr. Ábrego García’s next court appearance is scheduled for June 13, where US Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes will determine if there are grounds to keep him detained ahead of his trial. Currently, he remains in federal custody.