Tennessee Judge Dismisses Human Smuggling Charges Against Kilmar Abrego García, Citing Vindictive Prosecution
A federal judge in Nashville has dismissed human smuggling charges against Kilmar Abrego García, a Salvadoran immigrant previously deported by the Trump administration. The charges were related to a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee, where Abrego García was found driving an SUV with nine other men. Prosecutors alleged that he was paid to transport individuals who had crossed the border into Texas. However, the judge found a presumption of vindictive prosecution, noting the charges were filed nearly two and a half years after the incident, coinciding with the Trump administration's obligation to return Abrego García to the U.S. following a Supreme Court order. The case had become a priority for the Department of Justice, despite internal opposition, leading to the resignation of a prosecutor in protest. 
