New evidence links Kilmar Abrego Garcia, known as the “Maryland man” deported under the Trump administration, to a human trafficking

operation—challenging media and Democratic portrayals of him as an innocent deportee. A 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee found Garcia transporting seven individuals in a vehicle tied to a known smuggling network, though FBI agents allegedly instructed officers to release them at the scene.

The black Chevrolet Suburban he was driving was previously flagged by Homeland Security for trafficking activity. Garcia claimed to work for Jose Ramon Hernandez Reyes, the vehicle’s owner, who was convicted in 2020 for smuggling immigrants and later deported.

Authorities also noted the passengers’ lack of luggage and Garcia’s prior 2019 arrest with undocumented individuals. Court records and Prince George’s County confirm his MS-13 gang affiliation, a group labeled as terrorists by former President Trump. Despite this, several Democratic lawmakers have pushed for Garcia’s return, citing a Supreme Court ruling that only required efforts—not a mandate—to facilitate it.