UMVA has learned that a federal judge has dismissed the criminal indictment against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a suspected MS-13 gang member, in a stunning rebuke to prosecutors.
The indictment, which accused Garcia of human trafficking, was thrown out by Judge Waverly Crenshaw, who cited "vindictive and selective prosecution" in violation of the Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause. This dramatic development raises serious questions about the motivations behind the government's pursuit of Garcia.
According to information obtained by UMVA, Judge Crenshaw had previously expressed concerns about the case, setting a hearing to determine whether Garcia's prosecution was driven by improper motives. Public statements made by high-profile figures, including former Attorney General Pam Bondi and Rep. Kristi Noem, had sparked concerns about the case's origins.
Garcia, an El Salvadoran national, had been living in the US without authorization. In 2019, an immigration judge ordered him deported, but a court battle ensued. He was eventually returned to the US to face human trafficking charges.
A federal grand jury had indicted Garcia on charges of conspiracy to transport aliens and unlawful transportation of undocumented aliens. The indictment alleged that Garcia and co-conspirators had been smuggling people from 2016 to 2025.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that Judge Crenshaw's scathing 32-page opinion blasted the Trump Administration for targeting Garcia. The judge accused prosecutors of launching an investigation to justify Garcia's deportation, rather than following a legitimate lead.
The judge's opinion highlighted a disturbing sequence of events, including the reopening of a closed investigation and public statements by prosecutors that seemed to tie the case to the Executive Branch's decision to deport Garcia.
In a shocking conclusion, Judge Crenshaw dismissed both counts against Garcia, dealing a major blow to the government's efforts to crack down on human trafficking.
