Posted on 06/16/25
| News Source: Maryland Matters
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose wrongful deportation to an El Salvador prison sparked national debate over Trump administration immigration crackdowns, entered not guilty pleas on Friday to two federal human smuggling charges.
Dressed in an orange jumpsuit and seated next to attorneys with the federal public defender’s office, Abrego Garcia spoke only once, through a translator. “I understand,” he said in response to the judge’s reading of the charges.
The charges against Abrego Garcia, 29, are “conspiracy to unlawfully transport illegal aliens for financial gain” and “unlawful transportation of illegal aliens for financial gain.”
Friday’s hearing, in a downtown Nashville federal courtroom, turned primarily on the question of whether Abrego Garcia may be denied the opportunity to be released from jail pending trial.
Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes said she would take the matter under advisement. She said she will issue a written ruling on the prosecution’s motion to keep Abrego Garcia detained “sooner rather than later.”
The criminal charges stem from a federal investigation opened into a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop.
Abrego Garcia was pulled over for speeding with nine Hispanic men in the back of a Chevrolet Suburban. Abrego Garcia was not arrested or charged in the incident.