Government pressuring Abrego Garcia to accept a guilty plea, threatening deportation to Uganda if he refuses.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man accused of serious federal crimes including human trafficking and smuggling offenses, has been offered a plea deal for deportation to Costa Rica or Uganda, according to his attorneys. However, Garcia has declined the offer and his trial in the human smuggling case is set to begin on Jan. 27, 2027.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) informed Garcia that he has until Monday morning to accept the plea deal for deportation to Costa Rica. The government of Costa Rica had previously agreed to accept Garcia upon the conclusion of any criminal sentence he may serve in the U.S., as reported by his lawyers.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also informed Garcia's attorneys that he could be deported to Uganda if the Costa Rica offer is rejected. The government of Uganda has reportedly agreed to deport Garcia there after a possible prosecution in the United States.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) accuses Garcia of vindictive and selective prosecution, a claim that has been met with silence from the DHS. The DOJ stated that they will hold Garcia accountable and protect the American people, while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem criticized Garcia's release, referring to him as a MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, serial domestic abuser, and child predator.
Garcia's attorneys are seeking to dismiss the criminal case against him. They claim that the government responded to his release with outrage, a claim supported by a statement from the DOJ to a news website. However, the details of this response have not been made public.
In March, Garcia was wrongly deported and has since been released from criminal custody in Tennessee. The government of Costa Rica reportedly informed the U.S. embassy that they would be willing to accept Garcia, according to his lawyers.
The offer for deportation to Costa Rica is in exchange for a guilty plea, but if Garcia does not accept the plea deal, the offer will be withdrawn permanently. The DOJ responded to Garcia's release with a statement, but the details of this response have not been disclosed.
The trial in Garcia's human smuggling case is scheduled to begin in over nine years, raising questions about the motivations behind the plea deal offer and the government's handling of the case. Garcia's attorneys maintain that he is being targeted for political reasons, a claim that remains unproven at this time.
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