Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man mistakenly deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration, was pulled over in 2022 for speeding and questioned about transporting a group of men.
Scripps News obtained video of the traffic stop, which shows Abrego Garcia telling a Tennessee state trooper that he was taking the men to a construction site in St. Louis, Missouri.
"You've got a bunch of people here, don't you?" the trooper says in the footage. Abrego Garcia replies that he is driving the men to work.
Another trooper is then seen telling the first trooper that he believes Abrego Garcia is transporting the individuals for money.
“There’s eight people in there, right?” the trooper says. “They don’t have any luggage in there, right? If you get them out, they’re going to have toothpaste and toothbrushes in the pockets.”
One of the troopers ran Abrego Garcia’s driver’s license and discussed detaining him, but ultimately let him go with a warning for speeding.
Abrego Garcia’s wife has said her husband would often drive people from one job site to another, disputing allegations that he was doing anything illegal.
Originally from El Salvador, Abrego Garcia had been living in Maryland with his wife and three children before he was deported in March—despite a court order at the time that barred his removal.
The U.S. Supreme Court later ruled that the government must facilitate his return.
However, Abrego Garcia remains in El Salvador. The Trump administration has portrayed him as a violent gang member and human trafficker — claims his supporters deny. They argue he should be allowed to return to the U.S., where any allegations can be addressed in a court of law.
