MS-13 Case Against Alleged Gang Leader Collapses, Undermining Trump-Era Narrative

A high-profile Trump-era prosecution of Kilmar Abrego Garcia—accused of being a violent MS-13 gang leader—has unraveled in court, raising new questions about political theater and law enforcement overreach.

What We Know:

• Kilmar Abrego Garcia, once touted by Trump officials as a “poster child” for MS-13’s brutality, has had his federal case collapse due to insufficient evidence.

• Prosecutors dropped all racketeering and murder charges after failing to corroborate key witness testimonies and linking Abrego to gang operations.

• Garcia was initially charged in 2020 under a sweeping anti-gang initiative announced by then-Attorney General William Barr.

• His alleged involvement in a 2017 murder in Queens, NY, was central to the case—but key witnesses recanted or were found unreliable.

• The case was part of a broader Trump administration effort to label MS-13 as a major threat to U.S. domestic safety and justify hardline immigration policies.

• Garcia will now face deportation proceedings instead of criminal prosecution, despite spending nearly five years behind bars awaiting trial.

The collapse of the case shines a harsh light on the Trump administration’s politicized anti-gang crackdown and raises serious concerns about the use of federal resources in cases lacking concrete evidence.