


Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele denied Kilmar Ábrego García’s allegations that he was beaten and tortured after being mistakenly deported to an El Salvador prison.
In March, Ábrego García was wrongly deported to the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo, a mega-prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador, despite a 2019 court order stating he should not be sent there due to gang persecution. Immigration officials called the deportation an “administrative error.”
Recommended Stories
- Zelensky confirms call with Trump after Russia launched largest aerial assault of Ukraine war
- Trump says he made no progress 'at all' with Putin on ending Ukraine war after call
- Trump and Putin to speak following US decision to halt some aid to Ukraine
Ábrego García returned to the United States in June. However, on Wednesday, his lawyer filed in federal district court in Maryland, alleging he had been “subject to mistreatment” at the prison.
The mistreatment included “severe beatings, severe sleep deprivation, inadequate nutrition, and psychological torture,” the file reads.
Bukele has denied these allegations. On Thursday, he wrote on X, “Apparently, anything a criminal claims is accepted as truth by the mainstream media and the crumbling Western judiciary. But the man wasn’t tortured, nor did he lose weight.”
Bukele included a video of Ábrego García in his cell and meeting with Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).
“In fact, photos show he gained weight while in detention. There’s plenty of footage from different days, including his meeting with Senator Van Hollen, who himself confirmed the man seemed fine. If he’d been tortured, sleep-deprived, and starved, why does he look so well in every picture? Why would he gain weight? Why are there no bruises, or even dark circles under his eyes?” he added.
JUDGE WARNS DOJ OVER PUBLIC COMMENTS IN ABREGO GARCIA CASE
In April, the Supreme Court ordered the administration to return Ábrego García to the U.S. to ensure he undergoes due process.
Abrego Garcia is currently facing federal charges for transporting undocumented immigrants and related conspiracy charges. His attorney has requested that he remain in jail while awaiting trial due to fears that he may be deported again.