Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a construction worker from Maryland, has pleaded not guilty to charges of human smuggling in a federal court in Tennessee. His legal team contends that these charges are an attempt to justify his incorrect deportation to El Salvador in March. The case was initiated after the Supreme Court ordered his return, following growing pressure. Abrego Garcia’s defense lawyers questioned the reliability of government witnesses, suggesting they cooperated in exchange for immigration benefits. The charges stem from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee where Abrego Garcia was transporting nine passengers, leading authorities to suspect smuggling. Despite these suspicions, he was permitted to leave with only a warning. Prior to the hearing, U.S. attorneys depicted Abrego Garcia as a danger to the community and a flight risk, accusing him of trafficking drugs and firearms, and mistreating women he transported. These charges resulted in 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.