Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Salvadoran resident of Maryland, was wrongly deported to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT mega-jail, where he claims he endured severe physical and psychological torture. He has since been returned to the United States and is now facing separate human smuggling charges.
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Abrego Garcia’s case involves claims of brutal prison conditions, a complex legal battle over deportation, and new federal charges upon his return to the U.S.
Deportation to El Salvador and Arrival at CECOT
Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador on March 15 on a U.S. flight carrying individuals described by U.S. officials as alleged criminals. This occurred despite a 2019 U.S. protection order that prohibited his removal back to El Salvador, citing a “well-founded fear” of gang persecution from which he fled in 2011.
The initial basis for his deportation stemmed from a 2019 claim by the Trump administration alleging he was affiliated with a New York MS-13 gang chapter, although he had never lived there and was never charged with any related crime.
According to new court documents filed on Wednesday, Abrego Garcia reported severe abuse immediately upon arrival in El Salvador. He claims guards pushed him head-first down the aircraft stairs and that this was filmed.
He was then allegedly pushed onto a bus, forcibly seated, chained, and repeatedly hit by officers when he tried to lift his head.
Conditions and Alleged Torture in CECOT
Upon reaching the Terrorism Confinement Centre (CECOT), whose name translates roughly to the Terrorism Confinement Centre, Abrego Garcia claims he and others were greeted by a guard stating, “Welcome to CECOT. Whoever enters here doesn’t leave.”
He was allegedly made to strip and put on prison attire while being kicked and struck to hurry him. His head was shaved, and he claims he was beaten with batons while being taken to his cell. The next day, he reported visible bruises and marks.
The legal filing details claims of overcrowded conditions in a cell with 20 inmates, reportedly with no windows and bright lights kept on constantly. Inmates were allegedly forced to kneel for nine hours overnight and were hit if they fell from exhaustion. Abrego Garcia claims he was denied bathroom access and soiled himself. Cells reportedly had metal bunks with no mattresses and minimal sanitation access.
Director Belarmino Garcia speaks at the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador
After about a week, Abrego Garcia says he was moved to a different cell with other non-gang-affiliated Salvadorans after officials reviewed tattoos. He states that Salvadoran officials told him his tattoos were “fine” but threatened to put him with known gang members who would “tear him apart.”
He claims he witnessed inmates he believed to be gang members violently harming each other without intervention from guards. Screams from cells were reportedly heard throughout the night with no response from personnel.
During his first two weeks at CECOT, Abrego Garcia said he lost 31 pounds due to inadequate nutrition. On April 9, he and four others were photographed with mattresses and better food, which he believes was staged to document “improved conditions.”
Transfer, US Response, and Legal Battles
Around April 10, Abrego Garcia said he was transferred alone to the Centro Industrial prison facility in Santa Ana, El Salvador. There, he was allegedly denied visitation, communication with his family, and access to counsel until Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen visited him on April 17.
US Senator Chris Van Hollen meets with Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia in El Salvador
A week before Van Hollen’s visit, U.S. officials reportedly did not facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return despite a Supreme Court ruling ordering the government to do so. U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated on April 16 that he would not be returning and that the president planned on keeping him in El Salvador. Former President Donald Trump later claimed in an interview he had not been asked by his lawyers to contact Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele about Abrego Garcia’s return.
Return to the US and New Charges
After months in detention in El Salvador, Kilmar Abrego Garcia was flown back to the U.S. on June 6. Upon his return, he was charged with the smuggling of illegal aliens, including children and MS-13 gang members, across state lines between 2016 and 2025.
He pleaded not guilty to these charges at a court hearing on June 13.
File photo of Kilmar Abrego Garcia
The current charges reportedly stem from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee where he was stopped for speeding while driving a vehicle with nine passengers who lacked luggage. Body camera footage from the stop shows officers discussing suspicions of smuggling, with one officer noting Abrego Garcia had $1,400 cash. He was reportedly released with a warning at the time.
Abrego Garcia’s lawyers have characterized the human smuggling case as an attempt by the Trump administration to justify his initial deportation in March, which occurred after they failed to substantiate claims of gang activity.
On June 25, a U.S. federal judge ruled that Abrego Garcia had a right to be released while awaiting trial on the smuggling charges. However, he remains in jail as lawyers debate whether federal prosecutors can prevent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from deporting him to El Salvador a second time.
The case highlights the complexities of international deportation, the conditions within El Salvador’s prison system under its current anti-gang crackdown, and the intersection of legal protections and political actions.
— With files from The Associated Press
