Judge to review vindictive prosecution claims in Kilmar Abrego Garcia case

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — The human smuggling trial for Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been canceled.

Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr. canceled the trial and scheduled a hearing to determine whether the case is being pursued vindictively.

If Abrego Garcia’s team presents enough evidence that prosecutors are unable to justify, his charges may could be dismissed.

The human smuggling charges stem from a 2022 traffic stop in Middle Tennessee, when Abrego Garcia was pulled over and found allegedly transporting nine undocumented immigrants.

The hearing is currently set for Jan. 28, 2026.

Earlier this week, a federal judge in Maryland ordered Abrego Garcia be released from a Pennsylvania detention center after determining he was being held “again without lawful authority,” according to court documents.