Kilmar Ábrego García was deported from Maryland to El Salvador in March by the Trump administration. At the time, he had legal protection against deportation. However, on Friday, he returned to the United States—this time to face serious federal charges.

According to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, a grand jury in Tennessee indicted García for smuggling undocumented migrants and conspiracy. She confirmed this in a press briefing on Friday.

U.S. Thanks El Salvador for Cooperation

Bondi said, “Our government presented El Salvador with an arrest warrant, and they agreed to return him to our country.” She also thanked El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele “for agreeing to return him to our country to face these very serious charges.”

Furthermore, she added, “This is what American justice looks like upon completion of his sentence.”

Lawyer Criticizes Government’s Motives

Meanwhile, García’s lawyer Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg strongly condemned the government’s actions. He told The Hill, “They disappeared my client to a foreign prison,” and called it a “violation of a court order.”

Moreover, he added, “Now, after months of delay and secrecy, they’re bringing him back, not to correct their error but to prosecute him.”

In his view, “This shows that they were playing games with the court all along.” He emphasized, “Due process means the chance to defend yourself before you’re punished, not after.” He concluded that the government's conduct was “an abuse of power, not justice.”

Calls to Reopen His Immigration Case

In addition, Sandoval-Moshenberg urged officials to return García before the same immigration judge who had previously granted him protection. He stated that doing so would “ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent there.”

He also pointed out that “the US Supreme Court ordered [this] back in April.”

Officials Link García to Smuggling Network

On the other hand, Bondi said federal jurors believed García “has played a significant role” in a smuggling ring. The operation, she said, ran for nearly ten years.

If convicted, García would serve his sentence in the U.S. and then be deported to El Salvador.

Deportation Violated Court Order

According to court records, García fled gang violence in El Salvador and entered the U.S. without documents in 2011. Although a judge gave him protection from deportation, ICE still removed him from the country on March 15 after arresting him in Maryland.

He was sent to Cecot, a controversial mega-prison in El Salvador known for detaining alleged gang members.

No Criminal Record Before Charges

Interestingly, García had no criminal record in the U.S. before Friday’s indictment, as per court documents.

Even so, the Trump administration later admitted his deportation was an “administrative error.” Nevertheless, he was repeatedly portrayed as an MS-13 gang member on American television. However, both his wife and his lawyers have firmly denied that claim.