Federal authorities took Kilmar Abrego Garcia into custody on Monday morning in Maryland. He is expected to be removed to Uganda, the Department of Homeland Security announced.
“Today, ICE law enforcement arrested Kilmar Abrego Garcia and are processing him for deportation,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. “President Trump is not going to allow this illegal alien, who is an MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, serial domestic abuser, and child predator, to terrorize American citizens any longer.”
MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia moved to dismiss the case against him last week, arguing he was “singled out” by the federal government.
“Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been singled out by the United States government. It is obvious why. And it is not because of the seriousness of his alleged conduct. Nor is it because he poses some unique threat to this country. Instead, Mr. Abrego was charged because he refused to acquiesce in the government’s violation of his due process rights,” the motion says. “Rather than fix its mistake and return Mr. Abrego to the United States, the government fought back at every level of the federal court system. And at every level, Mr. Abrego won. This case results from the government’s concerted effort to punish him for having the audacity to fight back, rather than accept a brutal injustice.”
Abrego Garcia is facing human trafficking charges related to a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee. Upon being stopped, Tennessee Highway Patrol officers suspected human trafficking, stating on camera that Garcia was likely “hauling these people for money.” Despite these suspicions, officers only issued a citation for driving with an expired license and released him.
