US EditionTattoos on Abrego Garcia’s fingers are not proof he’s a member of MS-13, experts say
- The Trump administration deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador in March 2023, citing his finger tattoos as proof of MS-13 gang membership.
- This deportation occurred despite a protection order and denials from Abrego Garcia's family and attorneys, while experts disputed the gang affiliation claim.
- Gang scholars including Thomas Ward and Susan Phillips stated that the tattoos—which feature a cross, skull, smiley face, and marijuana leaf—do not definitively indicate MS-13 membership.
- Trump insisted the tattoos said 'MS-13' on Abrego Garcia's knuckles, yet multiple experts argued such tattoos are usually explicit and not cryptic, with gang members rarely hiding their affiliation.
- The conflicting views highlight concerns about relying solely on tattoos for gang identification and raise questions about the fairness of Abrego Garcia's deportation without due process.
51 Articles
51 Articles
Trump shows Garcia photo purported as Photoshopped: Darcy cartoon
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tuesday, during an Oval Office interview with ABC News Senior National Correspondent Terry Moran, convicted felon, now President, Donald Trump displayed a photo of mistakenly deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s hand showing MS-13 above tattoos on Garcia’s fingers, refuting the letters and numbers had been ‘Photoshopped’ on.
Trump says Kilmar Abrego Garcia has "'MS-13' on his knuckles.'" Pants on Fire!
President Donald Trump repeatedly clashed with ABC News’ Terry Moran about whether Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia — whom the U.S. government deported to El Salvador in March despite an order not to deport him there — had MS13, representing the MS-13 gang, tattooed on his knuckles.
Tattoos on Abrego Garcia’s fingers are not proof he’s a member of MS-13, experts say
The Trump administration this week continued digging in on its claim that symbols tattooed on the fingers of Kilmar Abrego Garcia – a cross, a skull, a smiley face and a marijuana leaf – are proof that the man they wrongly deported to El Salvador is a member of MS-13.
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