(NewsNation) — A photo of tattoos on the fingers of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, which President Donald Trump claims in a social media post is proof that the Maryland man who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador is an MS-13 gang member, is being questioned for its authenticity.
Trump posted a photo of himself in the Oval Office on his Truth Social account holding up an image of Abrego Garcia’s hand with the letters and numbers “M”, “S”, “1” and “3 printed on it. The tattoos on Abrego Garcia’s fingers include a marijuana leaf, a smiley face with two “Xs” for eyes, a cross and a skull.
In his post on April 18, Trump wrote, “This is the hand of the man that the Democrats feel should be brought back, because he is such ‘a fine and innocent person.’ They said he is not a member of MS-13, even though he’s got MS-13 tattooed into his knuckles, and two Highly Respected Courts found that he was a member of MS-13, beat up his wife, etc.”
Responses have been widespread, including those saying that the photo displayed in Trump’s social media post was doctored.
Linda Higgins, a retired Minnesota state senator, responded to the post on April 18 by writing on X, “Hey Old Man @realDonaldTrump, have someone teach you about Photoshop. This is an excellent example of altering a photo, in this case, to make your illegal actions look good. But instead, you look foolish.”
Four House Democrats traveled to El Salvador on April 22 to advocate for Abrego Garcia. That same day, Abrego Garcia’s wife said she moved to a safe house because her address was posted by the Department of Homeland Security.
Do tattoos automatically mean gang affiliation?
The Trump administration and agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security have continued to argue that Abrego Garcia should remain in El Salvador. This comes despite an order from the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that the Trump administration must “facilitate” his return after Abrego Garcia was deported due to an administrative error.
Despite the court order, DHS released a series of documents on April 16 that the agency insists prove Abrego Garcia is an MS-13 member with a history of violence. Among the documents released was a 2021 temporary restraining order that was sought by Abrego Garcia’s wife after a dispute.
Abrego Garcia and his family have disputed any ties to the MS-13 gang. The White House has not commented on Trump’s social media post regarding Abrego Garcia’s tattoos, but the administration has continued to maintain that the 29-year-old man who was granted protective status in the United States in 2019 is indeed a member of the notorious gang.
U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who met with Abrego Garcia in El Salvador on April 16, issued a statement after Trump’s post, saying the administration needs to “put up or shut up in court rather than on social media.” Van Hollen cited a federal judge’s ruling that there is no evidence linking Abrego Garcia to a criminal organization in calling Trump out.
“This is not about one man — we are standing up for everyone’s right to due process under the Constitution,” Van Hollen said. “When the Constitutional rights of one man are taken away, the rights of all are threatened.”
In addition to the documents, The New York Times recently reported that the Trump administration has leaned heavier into tattoos to tie immigrants who entered the country illegally to gang activity. The official White House X account reposted Trump’s photo on April 19 with a post that read, “If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.”
The report indicated that law enforcement agencies have used tattoos only as an indication of possible gang affiliation. Joseph Kenny, chief of detectives for the New York City Police Department, told the newspaper that a tattoo itself is never sufficient evidence to provide membership in a criminal organization.
But in the case of Mara Salvatrucha, more commonly known as MS-13, members typically have “MS” tattoos, according to John Colello, supervisor of the gang homicide division of the Los Angeles Police Department, who spoke to The New York Times.
Since Trump’s post, some internet sleuths have attempted to link the marijuana leaf, smiley face, cross and skull to MS-13. One social media post indicated that the photo used in the Trump post was damning evidence against Abrego Garcia: “Marijuana leaf = M. Smiley face = S. Cross coverup = 1. Skull coverup = 3. MS-13.”
However, a source with Immigration and Customs Enforcement told The New York Post that a “13” tattoo would be mandatory for Abrego Garcia if he became a member of the gang while living in the United States. Other gang experts have insisted in various media reports that MS-13 gang members have either “MS” or “13” prominently displayed in tattoos, unlike the images displayed on Abrego Garcia’s fingers.
Is Kilmar Abrego Garcia a member of the MS-13 gang?
As part of its document release, the Justice Department released a 2019 report in which Abrego Garcia was interviewed by the Prince George’s County Police Department in Maryland.
The report, part of a departmental Gang Field Interview Sheet, indicated that Abrego Garcia was seen wearing a Chicago Bulls baseball cap and a hoodie with rolls of money covering the eyes, ears and mouth of U.S presidents on the denominations of money when he was apprehended along with other men in a Home Depot parking lot.
Officers wrote that the Bulls cap represents that the person is a member in good standing of MS-13. The officers spoke with confidential informants who said Abrego Garcia is an active member of the gang’s Westerns clique.