NASHVILLE − The Chevrolet Suburban was heading east along Interstate 40 when it caught the attention of a Tennessee State Trooper, who pulled the driver over for speeding near Cookeville, Tennessee.
Behind the wheel was Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who had arrived in the United States illegally a decade earlier from El Salvador. Inside the vehicle were nine other passengers, all Hispanic men, according to court documents.
Abrego Garcia told the officer he was taking the men back to Maryland from St. Louis, where he said they had been working on a construction site.
But police were suspicious.
None of the passengers had any identification or luggage, there was no sign of tools or construction equipment, and several of the men gave the same Maryland address when asked where they were heading. After a few minutes, police allowed the SUV to continue its journey, issuing only a warning citation to Abrego Garcia for driving on an expired license.
