Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a construction worker from Maryland, has pleaded not guilty to charges of human smuggling in a federal court in Tennessee. His lawyers claim that these charges are an attempt to justify his incorrect deportation to El Salvador in March. The case started after the Supreme Court ordered his return due to increasing pressure. Abrego Garcia’s defense team questioned the reliability of government witnesses, suggesting they cooperated in exchange for immigration advantages. The charges stem from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee where Abrego Garcia was driving nine passengers, leading authorities to suspect smuggling. Despite these suspicions, he was allowed to leave with only a warning. Before the hearing, U.S. attorneys described Abrego Garcia as a threat to the community and a flight risk, accusing him of trafficking drugs and firearms, and abusing women he transported. These charges led to the resignation of Ben Schrader, who was formerly the chief of the criminal division at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.