Trump says deported suspected gang member has MS-13 tattooed across knuckles, but photos show another story

President Donald Trump recently defended the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an alleged MS-13 gang member, during a heated interview with ABC. Trump pointed to a photo he shared on social media showing the notorious gang’s name tattooed across Abrego Garcia’s knuckles as evidence of his affiliation with MS-13. The White House spokesman, Kush Desai, reiterated that Abrego Garcia’s tattoos clearly identified him as an MS-13 terrorist illegal alien, citing investigations by ICE, local police, and the government of El Salvador.

However, Fox News Digital discovered that other recent photos of Abrego Garcia did not show the MS-13 tattoo as claimed by Trump and his administration. Despite this discrepancy, Trump continued to defend his stance during the interview, insisting that the tattoo was real and accusing ABC of spreading fake news by suggesting otherwise.

The photos in question were shared by El Salvador President Nayib Bukele and an immigration activist group, CASA, showing Abrego Garcia without the supposed MS-13 tattoo. Bukele’s photo, posted after Abrego Garcia’s deportation to El Salvador, depicted him meeting with Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen without any visible MS-13 tattoo on his hand. Similarly, the CASA photo of Abrego Garcia with his son also failed to show the alleged tattoo.

Abrego Garcia entered the U.S. illegally from El Salvador in 2011 and was issued a deportation order in 2019. Despite admitting that his deportation in March was an administrative error, the Trump administration has stood by its decision to deport him, citing his suspected involvement in labor/human trafficking and his affiliation with MS-13. Court documents revealed that Abrego Garcia was identified as an MS-13 gang member by law enforcement agencies.

Furthermore, Abrego Garcia was accused of being a violent repeat offender of domestic abuse by his wife, Jennifer Vasquez. However, Vasquez has since pleaded for his return, claiming that their family has been torn apart by his deportation.

The deportation case has been embroiled in legal battles, with a Maryland federal judge ordering the Department of Justice to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S. The Trump administration has argued that securing his release from El Salvador is beyond their control and cannot guarantee success in negotiations with the sovereign nation.

In conclusion, the controversy surrounding Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s deportation highlights the complexities of immigration enforcement and the challenges of international diplomacy. The conflicting evidence regarding his alleged MS-13 affiliation underscores the need for thorough investigation and due process in handling such cases.