Failure of Highway Patrol to Notify TBI After Suspecting Kilmar Abrego Garcia of Human Trafficking Appears to Contradict Standard Procedure | 30 April 2025 | The Tennessee Star was the first to report that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the recently deported citizen of El Salvador, was stopped by Tennessee Highway Patrol and suspected of human trafficking in December 2022, with the agency ultimately confirming the "Biden-era FBI" instructed officers to release Abrego Garcia and his eight passengers, despite their suspicions of human trafficking and him presenting an invalid driver's license. The decision by highway patrol not to contact the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), which is empowered by state statute to train law enforcement officers how to detect human trafficking, and to investigate human trafficking cases across the state, appears to contradict established procedures. For example, Tennessee Code 38-6-102 authorizes TBI to launch its own investigations into organized crime, especially investigations involving "an offense involving any form of trafficking," establishing its ability to conduct such work.