Trump shares inconvenient truth about MS-13 tattoo on Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s knuckles

An inconvenient truth about the left’s “Maryland Man” had the president featuring apparent gang affiliation tattoos Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s wife attempted to hide.

“… he’s got MS-13 tattooed onto his knuckles …”

In the case of the deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a picture was not only worth a thousand words, but also four characters. Specifically, President Donald Trump released a close-up image purportedly of the Salvadoran national’s hand, decoding the symbols as plainly spelling out MS-13 after Jennifer Vasquez Sura had promoted the crowdfunding for her alleged human trafficker husband by concealing the tattoos.

“This is the hand of the man that the Democrats feel should be brought back to the United States, because he is such ‘a fine and innocent person,’” wrote Trump on Truth Social Friday as he shared an image of himself from the Oval Office displaying a photo said to be Abrego Garcia’s hand.

The image showed tattoos of a marijuana leaf, a smiley face, a cross, and a skull beneath the superimposed deciphered characters “MS13.”

The president’s post continued, “They said he is not a member of MS-13, even though he’s got MS-13 tattooed onto his knuckles, and two Highly Respected Courts found that he was a member of MS-13, beat up his wife, etc. I was elected to take bad people out of the United States, among other things. I must be allowed to do my job. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Of course, while Trump detractors blurred facts on the extent that the image was altered, conflating the addition of the “MS13” explanation with the suggestion the entirety of the knuckle tattoos had been digitally added, journalist Andy Ngo drew attention to a photo Vasquez Sura was using to promote an activist group crowdfunding on her behalf.

“Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, had strategically censored her partner’s left hand in the photo she uploaded on her TikTok to promote her GoFundMe,” wrote Ngo as he included the TikTok image with hearts over Abrego Garcia’s hand beside a closeup of the deported illegal alien’s hand when he met with Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D). The fundraising effort led by the National Day Laborer Organizing Network had raised over $240,000 toward a $260,000 goal, with many anonymous contributions at or exceeding $1,000.

The journalist then requested Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, “… release the full resolution photos from the photoshoot meeting he had with @ChrisVanHollen? The tattoos appears to be a marijuana leaf, a smile and the number 13.”

That point was similarly emphasized by radio host Jorge Bonilla, who remarked, “How thoughtful of President @nayibbukele to document Kilmar Abrego García’s gang tattoos for us (left hand: Marijuana, Smiley, 13).”

Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, has strategically censored her partner’s left hand in the photo she uploaded on her TikTok to promote her GoFundMe. @nayibbukele, can you release the full resolution photos from the photoshoot meeting he had with… pic.twitter.com/6KP3GsjMIV

— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) April 18, 2025

How thoughtful of President @nayibbukele to document Kilmar Abrego García’s gang tattoos for us (left hand: Marijuana, Smiley, 13) pic.twitter.com/fLLSzjMgVK

— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) April 18, 2025

Border czar Tom Homan and other officials dispelled the notion that Abrego Garcia’s gang affiliation was a mere allegation by detailing the Salvadoran man’s history. Homan had told Fox News host Laura Ingraham Wednesday after Van Hollen’s PR stunt, “I talked to an MS-13 expert today who also showed me pictures of [Abrego Garcia’s] hand, where he says, ‘Absolutely the tattoo on his hands was absolutely an MS-13 gang tattoo.’”

“Nothing questionable about it,” continued Homan. “Two judges said he’s [an] MS-13 member. ICE says he’s [an] MS-13 member. Intelligence community says he’s [an] MS-13 member. El Salvador says he’s [an] MS-13 member.”

Despite that, the defense of Abrego Garcia continued with attacks against the administration that included Gizmodo’s Matt Novak posting in part, “The paper [Trump’s] holding up has been digitally altered to add the characters MS-13. The claim comes from neo-Nazis on X who say the tattoos cover up ‘MS-13.’”

Likewise, a report from Mediaite piggybacked off of Novak’s post to emphasize, “… that a photo of Abrego Garcia with Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) from Thursday clearly shows the deportee’s left hand. The characters ‘MS-13’ are nowhere to be found.”

Trump just posted a photo of himself holding up a piece of paper claiming to show tattoos on Kilmar Abrego Garcia that are related to MS-13. The paper he’s holding up has been digitally altered to add the characters MS-13.

The claim comes from neo-Nazis on X who say the tattoos cover up “MS-13.”

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— Matt Novak (@paleofuture.bsky.social) April 18, 2025 at 5:18 PM

“The tattoo speculation started swirling after US Attorney General Pam Bondi released documents earlier this week alleging Abrego Garcia was an active MS-13 member […] The documents, though, don’t make any mention of Abrego Garcia brandishing any MS-13-affiliated tattoos.”

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— Matt Novak (@paleofuture.bsky.social) April 18, 2025 at 5:22 PM

Staff Writer

Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn’t researching current events and their impacts, you’ll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.

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