Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a construction worker from Maryland, has pleaded not guilty to charges of human smuggling in a Tennessee federal court. His lawyers argue that these charges are an attempt to justify his incorrect deportation to El Salvador in March. The case started after the Supreme Court ordered him to return, due to increasing pressure. Abrego Garcia's defense team questioned the reliability of government witnesses, claiming they cooperated to receive immigration favors. The charges come from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee, where Abrego Garcia was driving nine passengers, which made authorities 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 someone likely to flee, accusing him of trafficking drugs and firearms, and abusing women he transported. These charges led to the resignation of Ben Schrader, who was the former chief of the criminal division at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.