A 29-year-old Salvadoran national, Kilmar Ábrego García, who was mistakenly deported from the United States in March despite a Supreme Court order barring his removal, has been returned to the U.S. to face federal criminal charges, authorities confirmed on Friday.
Ábrego García appeared in a federal courtroom in Nashville, Tennessee, after being extradited from El Salvador. According to a newly unsealed grand jury indictment, he faces two charges: conspiracy to transport undocumented migrants and unlawful transportation of undocumented individuals.
The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that Ábrego García was a key figure in a large-scale human smuggling network that transported undocumented migrants—including individuals allegedly linked to the MS-13 gang—from Texas to Maryland and other states over 100 times since 2016.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said El Salvador complied with the extradition request after the U.S. issued a formal arrest warrant. “His role in facilitating the illegal entry of individuals—some with ties to violent gangs—warranted swift action,” Bondi said, though no terrorism-related charges were brought.
Ábrego García’s deportation in March sparked backlash and legal challenges, as he had been granted protection from removal by an immigration judge in 2019 due to credible threats from gangs in his home country. His removal proceeded anyway under the Trump administration, which invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime-era law, to justify the deportation. He was sent to El Salvador’s notorious Cecot mega-prison.
In April, the Supreme Court issued a ruling requiring the administration to facilitate Ábrego García’s return. The White House delayed compliance for weeks, citing administrative confusion.
Simon Sandoval Moshenberg, Ábrego García’s attorney, condemned the charges as politically motivated. “They violated a court order and sent him to a foreign prison. Now they’re bringing him back not to right the wrong, but to prosecute him as cover,” he said. He called for a fair hearing before the immigration judge who had originally granted his client protection.
President Donald Trump defended the government’s actions during a press conference Friday, calling Ábrego García “a bad guy” and praising the Department of Justice for pursuing prosecution. “We’re keeping our communities safe,” Trump said.
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, a close ally of Trump, confirmed his government’s cooperation in the extradition. “If the U.S. asks for a gang member to face charges, we will comply,” Bukele posted on social media.
Ábrego García’s legal troubles began in 2019 when he was arrested alongside three others in Maryland. Though never convicted in either the U.S. or El Salvador, the Trump administration accused him of affiliation with MS-13 and involvement in arms and narcotics trafficking—allegations he has consistently denied.
