The FBI told police in Tennessee who had stopped Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the MS-13 gang member the Trump administration deported to El Salvador last month, to release him even though he was suspected of human trafficking and smuggling of illegal immigrants at the time, according to sources who spoke with Fox News.
In a show segment on Thursday, host Jesse Watters played a video clip of Abrego Garcia’s interaction with officers, which showed them questioning the suspect who was traveling with a vehicle full of people. Watters said his show is the first to air the clip.
During the traffic stop, Abrego Garcia told officers that he and the others were traveling for work in Missouri, while also informing them that he lived in Maryland. Officers began to get suspicious when they discovered that Abrego Garcia and the others were traveling without any luggage or belongings.
“He was a suspect in a human trafficking operation dating back three years and Fox Digital just got their hands on the body camera,” Watters said, introducing the clip. “You are seeing it here first. Tennessee highway patrol stopped Kilmar for speeding and noticed he had eight other people in the car. All with no luggage.”
Here’s how the initial interaction went:
OFFICER: How are you?
ABREGO GARCIA: Good and you?
OFFICER: I’m all right. You have a bunch of people here, don’t you?
ABREGO GARCIA: Yes, go back to work.
OFFICER: Got you, where are you working?
ABREGO GARCIA: Missouri. Yes, sir.
OFFICER: Got you. Where do you live?
ABREGO GARCIA: Where are we living? In Maryland.
OFFICER: Whose vehicle is this? Whose car is it?
ABREGO GARCIA: My boss.
OFFICER: Where does he live? Where does your boss live?
ABREGO GARCIA: He’s in Maryland, but he lives in Texas.
OFFICER: Lives in Texas.
WATCH:
“After talking to Kilmar,” Watters continued, “the officers had no doubt that he was trafficking.”
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