BALTIMORE — The President of El Salvador issued a blistering response to Kilmar Abrego Garcia's recent allegations of abuse while imprisoned in his native country.
"Apparently, anything a criminal claims is accepted as truth by the mainstream media and the crumbling Western judiciary," said Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, in a July 3 post on X.
Garcia, the undocumented migrant and accused MS-13 gang member was deported from the U.S. in March to El Salvador's maximum security terrorism confinement center, CECOT.
At the time Garcia was living in Maryland with his wife and child, both of whom are American citizens.
The government later acknowledged Garcia's deportation was executed in error, triggering a long legal battle gaining national exposure.
A federal judge in Maryland ordered the government to effectuate his return, while the Supreme Court differed slightly by ruling they should facilitate his release.
While Garcia's defense team and the Trump Administration argued back and forth about what the difference was, Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed Garcia would never again be allowed to renter the country.
That was until last month, when Bondi announced Garcia had been flown back to the country to face federal human smuggling charges.
He's been held in a Tennessee prison ever since, while the case plays out.
A magistrate judge initially said Garcia couldn't be held in pre-detention, but ICE threatened to again deport him if released.
Lawyers later pleaded with the judge to allow Garcia to remain incarcerated until they could mount a legal defense ensuring he'd remain in the country through trial.
The judge granted the request.
Meanwhile, the Maryland case is ongoing.
Since Garcia's now in the U.S., the DOJ wants the lawsuit over his deportation dropped.
It seems the judge isn't yet willing to throw out the case.
In his latest Maryland court filing, Garcia reports suffering severe physical abuse while incarcerated in El Salvador.
He alleges being kicked and beaten repeatedly with wooden batons, leaving bruises and lumps all over his body.
Additionally, Garcia claims to have soiled himself after being denied bathroom access.
He too says a lack of food caused a 30 pound weight drop in a two week period.
In response Bukele released three minutes and 24 seconds worth of prison surveillance footage showing Garcia in what appears to be good health, eating, and taking part in various activities like fishing, gardening, soccer, and chess.
Apparently, anything a criminal claims is accepted as truth by the mainstream media and the crumbling Western judiciary.
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) July 3, 2025
But the man wasn’t tortured, nor did he lose weight. In fact, photos show he gained weight while in detention. There’s plenty of footage from different days,… pic.twitter.com/PzvLcCNzrK
The video also captures Garcia being medically evaluated on multiple occasions, all in contrast to his court testimony.
"The man wasn’t tortured, nor did he lose weight," tweeted Bukele. "In fact, photos show he gained weight while in detention."
It should be noted, however, the footage Bukele provided is from April 16 and beyond, at which point Garcia had already been transferred out of CECOT to another facility in Santa Ana called the Centro Industrial Penitentiary.
MORE: U.S. confirms Abrego-Garcia transferred out of El Salvador's terrorism confinement center
That's when Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador for a heavily criticized in-person meeting with Garcia.
In his tweet, Bukele makes mention of the Senator's own observations during his visit with Garcia.
When asked if he saw any signs of abuse, Van Hollen responded "I did not get that sense. [Garcia] appeared okay."
"If he’d been tortured, sleep-deprived, and starved, why does he look so well in every picture," Bukele questioned. "Why would he gain weight? Why are there no bruises, or even dark circles under his eyes?"
While it's unclear what's next for Garcia, the U.S. Supreme Court recently authorized the Trump Administration to remove illegal immigrants already slated for deportation to countries other than their native homeland.
In Garcia's case, an immigration judge approved his removal in 2019, but prohibited his return to El Salvador over potential safety concerns.
The U.S. says Garcia feared going back to his home country because he allegedly participated in the murder of a rival gang member's mother.
Garcia has denied all accusations and pleaded not guilty.