NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador earlier this year, appeared before a federal judge in Nashville Friday on charges related to human smuggling.

Abrego Garcia stood before a judge at the federal courthouse in Nashville late today, handcuffed and shackled, after being returned to the United States following his controversial deportation under the Trump administration.

The case began with a traffic stop in Cookeville by the Tennessee Highway Patrol in 2022. Troopers initially stopped Abrego Garcia for suspicion of speeding, but later suspected he was transporting undocumented migrants across the country for money. He wasn't charged at that time.

In March of this year, Abrego Garcia was thrust into the spotlight after the Trump admini

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