Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., laid out to El Salvador today to locate Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the male at the facility of a wrong expulsion, and get the answer regarding his problem.
While he was eased to obtain an opportunity to satisfy the Abrego Garcia one-on-one on Thursday, the legislator knocked El Salvador Head of state Nayib Bukele and Head Of State Donald Trump of what he stated was an arrangement to libel him and the refugee.
Van Hollen stated Friday that what he called “margarita-gate” was made by Bukele and his authorities after they published a picture of his conference with Abrego Garcia at a table with what seemed filled up margarita glasses.
In this image published to the X account of Salvadorean Head of state Nayib Bukele, United States Legislator Chris Van Hollen holds a conference with Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia (L), a United States person wrongfully deported to his home nation, at a resort in San Salvador on April 17, 2025.
@nayibbukele/ X by means of AFP by means of Getty Photos
The legislator stated those glasses were placed on the table partway throughout the conference by El Salvador authorities which neither he neither the refugee touched the beverages.
” Every little thing takes place due to the fact that Bukele claims it might occur. And if you check out the video clip you sent best later on with the phony margaritas, you can see that every one of that was an arrangement,” Van Hollen informed press reporters.
The legislator jabbed openings in the tale that was being spread out by Bukele’s and Trump’s allies and stated the whole conference was suspicious from the get go.
After being refuted accessibility to CECOT, the very jail that the federal government initially stated was holding Abrego Garcia, Van Hollen stated he prepared to fly back to the united state Thursday however obtained a message that the refugee was offered to satisfy.
The El Salvador federal government attempted to have the conference poolside, however the legislator stated he had them take it inside your home in an eating location. Throughout the conference, Van Hollen and Abrego Garcia had glasses of water and a coffee on their tables, which showed up in a picture published by the legislator.
The legislator stated that at one factor throughout the hourlong conference, authorities placed glasses on the table that showed up to have fluid inside with salt or sugar edges on the top. Van Hollen stated he had no concept what the fluid was.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen fulfills Kilmar Abrego Garcia at a place provided as El Salvador, in this photo launched April 17, 2025.
Legislator Chris Van Hollen/X by means of Reuters
The glass before Abrego Garcia had much less fluid than the various other glass, according to Van Hollen.
” They attempted to make it resemble, I think, that he consumed alcohol from it,” the legislator stated.
Van Hollen stated the insinuations regarding the margarita glasses do not stand up under analysis.
In this image published to the X account of Salvadorean Head of state Nayib Bukele, United States Legislator Chris Van Hollen holds a conference with Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia (L), a United States person wrongfully deported to his home nation, at a resort in San Salvador on April 17, 2025.
@nayibbukele/ X by means of AFP by means of Getty Photos
” They slipped up,” he stated of the federal government authorities. “If you drink out of among those glasses, a few of whatever it was, salt or sugar, would certainly go away. You would certainly see a space. There’s no void. Nobody consumed alcohol anything.”
El Salvador’s federal government has actually not discussed the legislator’s case.
Head of state Donald Trump consults with El Salvador Head Of State Nayib Bukele in the Oval Workplace at the White Residence in Washington, April 14, 2025.
Ken Cedeno/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Trump was inquired about the image of the conferences with the glasses previously Friday and slammed Van Hollen as “phony” and duplicated questioned insurance claims that Abrego Garcia is an MS-13 participant.
” They’re all phony, and they have no rate of interest because detainee. That detainee’s document is incredibly negative,” Trump stated prior to noting criminal activities of which various other MS-13 participants have actually been founded guilty.
None of the accusations made regarding Abrego Garcia’s belonging to MS-13 have actually been made in court papers. Abrego Garcia’s household and lawyers have actually refuted the gang accusations.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, come with by Cesar Abrego Garcia, from left, Cecilia Garcia and Jennifer Vasquez Sura, talks throughout a press conference upon his arrival from conference with Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, at Washington Dulles International Airport Terminal, in Chantilly, Va., April 18, 2025.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
Van Hollen emphasized that Trump is attempting to draw away interest from the truth that the united state federal government is not following the High court’s consentaneous order that it promote Abrego Garcia’s go back to the united state by raising gang physical violence.
” I imply, this is a man that’s remained in CECOT. This individual has actually been apprehended. They intend to develop this look that life was simply beautiful for Kilmar, which, naturally, is a large fat lie,” he stated.
The legislator included that the situation surpasses Abrego Garcia.
” This situation is not around simply one male. It has to do with shielding the humans rights of every person that stays in the USA of America,” he stated.
