Overview

• On June 13, Abrego Garcia pleaded not guilty in Nashville federal court to two counts alleging his role in a smuggling ring from 2016 to 2025.
• He was returned from El Salvador on June 6 after an unsealed indictment prompted the Trump administration to comply with court orders requiring his repatriation.
• His legal team contends the charges aim to vindicate a wrongful March removal that Justice Department lawyers later classified as an administrative error.
• Prosecutors point to a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop involving nine passengers as evidence of his alleged smuggling operations.
• Ben Schrader, head of the Middle District of Tennessee’s criminal division, resigned on the day the indictment was unsealed, underscoring internal Justice Department dissent.