Bukele Disputes Abrego Garcia Torture Claims with Video
Bukele Disputes Abrego Garcia Torture Claims with Video
A video released by El Salvador President Nayib Bukele casts doubts on claims by Kilmar Abrego Garcia that he was beaten and tortured during his imprisonment in his country of origin.
In a video posted by the president on X, Abrego Garcia is seen in the video gardening, playing soccer, fishing and enjoying other leisurely activities while imprisoned in his home country.
The video appears at odds with Abrego Garcia’s legal filings earlier this week that he was severely beaten, deprived of sleep, and psychologically tortured while detained. He also claimed he lost more than 30 pounds.
Bukele wrote:
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. In fact, photos show he gained weight while in detention… 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?
A federal judge ruled earlier this year that Abrego Garcia was erroneously deported by the Trump administration to El Salvador. He was returned to the U.S. after a court order.
Abrego Garcia, who was living in Maryland as an illegal alien, was deported to El Salvador in March. Democrats and legacy media repeatedly portrayed him as a “Maryland man,” casting him as the poster boy of their resistance to the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans.
The controversy included a highly publicized trip by Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen to El Salvador to meet with the inmate.
The Trump administration accused Abrego Garcia of being an MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, and wife beater, citing police reports by his wife alleging domestic violence.
Fox News reported that Abrego Garcia was first held at the country’s Terrorism Confinement Center, “a notorious anti-terrorism prison,” in March and then transferred to a lower-security facility in Santa Ana in mid-April.
Bukele does not say in the X post which prison is featured in the video.
As Breitbart News reported, the U.S. Justice Department greeted Abrego Garcia’s return last month with a 10-page indictment, accusing him of being deeply involved in gang violence, weapons trafficking, and the abuse of women he had allegedly smuggled.
Abrego Garcia pled not guilty last month to all charges. He remains in federal custody in Nashville, Tennessee awaiting trial.
Ironically, his lawyers have argued he should remain in jail because the Trump administration is planning to deport him again if he is released.
Texas Flood Tragedy: 24 Dead, 20 Kids Missing
Jul 5, 2025
4 min
Musk Details Plan for New Political Party
Jul 5, 2025
2 min
Trump Signs ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ in July 4 Victory
Jul 5, 2025
1 min
Judge Blocks South Sudan Deportations Despite SCOTUS Ruling
Jul 5, 2025
3 min
Trump Rolls Out ‘Reciprocal’ Tariffs Up to 70%
Jul 5, 2025
4 min
200 Marines Deployed to Florida to Help ICE
Jul 5, 2025
<1 min
Trump Kicks Off America's Yearlong 250th Birthday Party
Jul 5, 2025
2 min
America Turns 249: Fireworks, Flyovers, Parades Nationwide
Jul 5, 2025
2 min
Russia Hits Kyiv with Largest Drone Attack
Jul 5, 2025
1 min
US-Iran Nuclear Talks to Restart Next Week
Jul 5, 2025
3 min
UPS Cuts 20,000 Jobs, Closes 73 Facilities
Jul 4, 2025
2 min
Trump Signs ‘Make America Beautiful Again’ Executive Order
Jul 4, 2025
1 min
Dutch Government Passes Strictest Asylum Policy in History
Jul 4, 2025
1 min
House Passes Trump BBB, Sending It to Trump's Desk
Jul 4, 2025
6 min
Trump to Host UFC Fight at WH for America250 Celebration
Jul 4, 2025
2 min
Mamdani Identified as Asian and Black on College Application
Jul 4, 2025
4 min
Supreme Court Lets Trump Deport 8 Illegal Migrants to South Sudan
Jul 4, 2025
3 min
US to Open First Rare-Earth Mine in 70+ Years
Jul 4, 2025
2 min
Trump Meets Saudi Defense Minister to Discuss Iran De-Escalation
Jul 4, 2025
1 min
‘Reservoir Dogs’ Star Michael Madsen Dies at 67
Jul 4, 2025
5 min