WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee that preceded the mistaken deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who had been granted legal protection from removal due to threats of gang violence in El Salvador.
The traffic stop, conducted by Tennessee Highway Patrol in November 2022 on Interstate 40, was initially prompted by speeding. Abrego Garcia was driving an SUV carrying eight passengers and no visible luggage — a detail that raised suspicions among troopers of possible human trafficking. While troopers questioned the purpose of the trip and the identities of the passengers, Abrego Garcia was ultimately cited only for driving with an expired license and released without charges.
Further scrutiny of the incident emerged in recent weeks after it was revealed that the vehicle Abrego Garcia was driving was registered to Jose Ramon Hernandez Reyes, a convicted human smuggler. The DOJ investigation will examine whether law enforcement procedures were followed during the stop and whether any failures in protocol contributed to the chain of events that led to Abrego Garcia’s deportation.
In March 2025, Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador, despite a 2019 immigration court ruling granting him “withholding of removal,” a legal protection for individuals who can demonstrate credible threats to their safety if returned to their home country. His deportation drew sharp criticism from immigration advocates and legal experts, and a federal judge has since ordered the U.S. government to bring him back.
The case has sparked national attention over procedural lapses and the enforcement priorities of immigration authorities. Civil rights groups have described the deportation as a violation of Abrego Garcia’s legal protections, and lawmakers are demanding accountability from agencies involved in the removal process.
A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment on the ongoing investigation, but officials familiar with the matter say the department aims to determine not only the legality of the traffic stop but also how information from that encounter may have been used — or misused — in federal immigration decisions.
Abrego Garcia remains in El Salvador as legal efforts continue to facilitate his return to the United States.
