By Charles Switzer
12:14pm PDT, Apr 19, 2025
Trump Posts Image of Allegedly Altered Photo of Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s Hand
President Donald Trump posted a photo on his Truth Social platform Friday, April 18, showing himself holding an image of Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s left hand, which seemed to be digitally altered.
Abrego Garcia, who was wrongly deported to El Salvador last month, is currently incarcerated in a prison there despite a 2019 court order that prohibited his removal to that country.
Here’s what’s happening.
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Trump’s Case Against Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a father of three from Maryland, was deported to El Salvador in an “administrative error” according to Donald Trump administration lawyers.
The deportation occurred despite the court order barring his removal, and the U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld a lower court’s decision that requires the administration to facilitate his return to the U.S. Abrego Garcia has not been charged with any crime, yet the Trump administration continues to claim that he is a member of the MS-13 gang.
The Image Trump Shared and the Alleged Alteration
The image shared by Donald Trump on Truth Social purports to show Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s left hand, featuring tattoos that had previously been described by government officials: a marijuana leaf, a smiley face, a cross, and a skull.
However, in the photo that Trump posted, the letters “MS-13” are visibly spelled out across the knuckles.
This image has raised suspicions as Matt Novak of Gizmodo pointed out on BlueSky that a recent photo of Abrego Garcia, taken with Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), clearly shows his left hand without any “MS-13” markings.
Senator Van Hollen’s Efforts to Secure Abrego Garcia’s Release
Senator Chris Van Hollen, who traveled to El Salvador to help secure Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s release, expressed his concern over the situation.
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has refused to release Abrego Garcia, and Donald Trump has stated that the decision is ultimately up to Bukele.
This has raised further questions, particularly as the U.S. government is reportedly paying El Salvador $6 million to imprison Abrego Garcia and over 250 other deported individuals.
A 60 Minutes investigation revealed that approximately 75 percent of these individuals do not have a criminal record.
Reactions on Social Media
The photo posted by Donald Trump has sparked a variety of reactions on social media.
One user on X commented, “This photo raises so many questions. Is this another attempt to vilify an innocent man? The truth doesn’t seem to align with the image being presented.”
Another user posted, “Trump’s attempt to manipulate public opinion with this altered image is exactly why we need more transparency in these cases. There’s a lot more to this story.”
