Kilmar Abrego Garcia told ICE before he was deported that he didn’t fear returning to El Salvador: report

The revelation differs from the statement he gave in 2019 to the federal government, saying that he feared returning to El Salvador due to the threat of gang violence. An immigration judge ultimately ended up blocking the federal government’s ability to deport him, with Abrego Garcia telling the judge that he was at risk of retaliation from gangs like Barrio 18, which is a rival gang of MS-13.

Abrego Garcia was taken into custody in March 2019, with documents released by the Department of Justice stating that Abrego Garcia was seen wearing "a Chicago Bulls hat and a hoodie with rolls of money covering the eyes, ears and mouth of the presidents on the separate denominations," all symbols associated with Hispanic gang culture.

Officers contacted a "past proven and reliable source" of information, who advised Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia is an active member of MS-13 with the Western clique. The confidential source further advised that he is the rank of "Chequeo" with the moniker of "Chele," the gang field interview document continued.

In April 2019, an immigration court said in a ruling that "the determination that the Respondent is a gang member appears to be trustworthy and is supported by other evidence in the record, namely, information contained in the Gang Field Interview Sheet."

In March, Abrego Garcia was deported alongside 260 other gang members under the Alien Enemies Act to El Salvador. Abrego Garcia’s attorneys have insisted that their client has no criminal record in the US that would justify his removal. The Trump administration has been ordered to take "all available steps to facilitate" his return to the country, though the administration has contended that it cannot force El Salvador to release one of its own citizens.

Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, said on Wednesday, after it was revealed that she had filed for a domestic violence protection order against her husband in 2021, that she was "acting out of caution after a disagreement with Kilmar … in case things escalated." She said she had survived a prior relationship with domestic abuse.

"Things did not escalate, and I decided not to follow through with the civil court process. We were able to work through this situation privately as a family, including by going to counseling," she said. "Our marriage only grew stronger in the years that followed. No one is perfect, and no marriage is perfect." The protection order filing claimed that Abrego Garcia had punched, scratched, grabbed and bruised her.