Photo courtesy of En Vivo – Screenshot from video.
A recent memo from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) brings to light some rather dubious activities surrounding Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a figure who has curiously captured media attention despite his checkered past.
Garcia, a national from El Salvador, was living unlawfully in Maryland until a judge decided in 2019 that it was time for him to take an involuntary trip back to his home country, citing his alleged association with the notoriously violent MS-13 gang.
Now residing in El Salvador’s infamous CECOT prison, Garcia’s saga took another twist when a 2022 traffic stop by a Tennessee Highway Patrol officer revealed potential human trafficking connections.
During the stop, the officer noticed Garcia driving erratically with eight passengers crammed into his vehicle. When questioned, Garcia claimed he was en route to perform construction work. However, the lack of luggage and the fact that all passengers shared Garcia’s address raised some red flags for the trooper.
A report from the Prince Georges County Police Gang Unit had already classified Garcia as an MS-13 member, adding further weight to the officer’s suspicions.
Fox News reported:
Kilmar Abrego-Garcia, recently deported to El Salvador, was under investigation for potential involvement in labor and human trafficking, according to a 2022 Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) report obtained by Fox News. This report noted that “official law enforcement investigations” confirmed Garcia’s ties to the notorious gang MS-13, which has been labeled a terror organization by former President Donald Trump.
On December 1, 2022, a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper stopped Garcia after noticing him speeding and swerving. The presence of eight individuals in his car, along with Garcia’s declaration that he had driven for three days from Houston, Texas, to Temple Hills, Maryland, to “perform construction work,” raised the officer’s suspicions of human trafficking. The absence of luggage and the fact that all passengers shared Garcia’s home address only fueled these concerns.
During the encounter, Garcia allegedly feigned limited English proficiency and attempted to divert the officer’s inquiries by responding with questions. Ultimately, the trooper opted for a warning regarding Garcia’s expired license rather than a citation for his driving behavior.
The HSI report also references an October 2019 identification of Garcia as a member of the infamous Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang by the Prince Georges County Police Gang Unit.
