Abrego Garcia Pleads Not Guilty to Human Smuggling Charges - Articles

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Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Jun 13, 2025

Kilmar Abrego Garcia of Maryland appeared at the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee today and pleaded not guilty to human smuggling charges stemming from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee, the Associated Press reports. In their request to keep Abrego Garcia in jail pending trial, prosecutors also accused him of trafficking drugs and firearms and abusing the women he transported, though he has not been charged with those crimes. His defense challenged the credibility of government witnesses, citing their criminal records and possible motivations, and denied all criminal allegations. They also argued the charges are a political maneuver to justify his recent removal to El Salvador, which they say violated a court order protecting him from deportation due to fears of gang violence.