A U.S. federal judge in Tennessee dismisses criminal human smuggling charges against Salvadoran national Kilmar Abrego Garcia, concluding the case is tainted and was brought for improper reasons. Multiple outlets report that U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw granted Garcia’s motion to dismiss, after finding the prosecution was “vindictive” or “selective,” linked to Garcia’s legal efforts to challenge his deportation. The case stems from a December 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee, during which law enforcement found Garcia transporting eight passengers and questioned whether he was smuggling people; he was later released at the request of the FBI, according to reporting summarized by some outlets.
Several sources also say the government had previously closed its investigation connected to the traffic stop, then reopened it after Garcia succeeded in a lawsuit challenging removal to El Salvador. Independent and other international coverage describes that Garcia had been mistakenly deported to El Salvador and that the dismissal occurs without a trial. Some reports add that the U.S. still seeks to remove him to a third country, even after the charges are dismissed.
