On April 18, the Department of Homeland Security released a Homeland Security Investigations’ Combined Intelligence Unit (CIU) Investigative Referral report on Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
The report details the traffic stop encounter that led law enforcement officers to suspect Abrego Garcia of involvement in human trafficking. The documents also reveal that law enforcement confirmed Abrego Garcia to be a Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang member.
On December 1, 2022, Abrego Garcia was stopped by the Tennessee Highway Patrol for speeding. Upon approach to the vehicle, the officer noted eight other individuals in the vehicle. There was no luggage in the vehicle, leading the encountering officer to suspect this was a human trafficking incident.
Additionally, all the passengers gave the same home address as the subject’s. During the interview, Abrego Garcia pretended to speak less English than he could and attempted to put the encountering officer off track by responding to questions with questions.
When asked what relationship he had with the vehicle’s registered owner, Abrego Garcia replied that the vehicle’s owner is his boss, and that he worked in construction.
“Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a MS-13 gang member, illegal alien from El Salvador, and suspected human trafficker. The facts reveal he was pulled over with eight individuals in a car on an admitted three-day journey from Texas to Maryland with no luggage,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
McLaughlin added, “The facts speak for themselves, and they reek of human trafficking. The media’s sympathetic narrative about this criminal, illegal gang member has completely fallen apart. We hear far too much about the gang members and criminals’ false sob stories and not enough about their victims.”
The encountering officer did not cite the subject for driving infractions but gave him a warning citation for driving with an expired driver’s license. Abrego Garcia’s driver’s license was a MD ‘Limited Term Temporary’ licence.
The officer gathered the names of other occupants in the vehicle but could not read their handwriting. The officer did not pursue further information because no citation was issued.
In 2019, the Prince Georges County Police Gang Unit validated Garcia as a member of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) Gang.
