Abrego Garcia indictment based in part on Just the News reporting

The indictment of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an alleged gang member and human trafficker, appears to have been based, in part, on reporting from Just the News.

Just the News, in April of this year, reported that the Biden administration had flagged Abrego Garcia as a "suspect alien" who may have been involved in human trafficking after a traffic stop in November of 2022 by the Tennessee highway Patrol. The Highway Patrol later released the body camera footage of the encounter.

The indictment specifically highlights the traffic stop, noting that Abrego Garcia was the driver of a Chevrolet suburban and that the vehicle had nine Hispanic male passengers without identification. He faces counts of conspiracy to transport aliens and unlawful transportation of undocumented aliens.

Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported by the Trump administration despite being subject to a withholding order. Democrats campaigned extensively for the return of the "Maryland dad", with Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., even visiting him at a prison in El Salvador.