President Donald Trump appeared to show a digitally altered photo of Kilmar Abrego Garcia's tattoos, a day after the 29-year-old, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, made his first appearance since his arrest. The president further linked Abrego Garcia's tattoos to the MS-13 gang, saying the Maryland man is ‘not innocent’.
Trump appeared to show a digitally altered photo of Kilmar Abrego Garcia's tattoos (Truth Social/Donald Trump)
{{^htLoading}} {{/htLoading}}
Kilmar Abrego Garcia met Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen in El Salvador on Thursday. Social media users were quick to notice his tattoos and linked the 29-year-old to the street gang. Trump officials also posted a complaint that stated that Abrego Garcia ‘punched’ his wife and was a noted member of the MS-13 gang.
President Trump on Friday brought up Abrego Garcia's tattoos at the Oval Office, when he showed a photo of the deported man's knuckles.
“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.” 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!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
We zoomed in on the image to observe that MS-13 was clearly spelled across Kilmar Abrego Garcia's knuckles. However, government officials have previously stated that the tattoos showed a ‘marijuana leaf, a smiley face, a cross, and a skull’. There has been no mention of MS-13 being tattooed, as is.
{{/usCountry}}
{{#usCountry}}
We zoomed in on the image to observe that MS-13 was clearly spelled across Kilmar Abrego Garcia's knuckles. However, government officials have previously stated that the tattoos showed a ‘marijuana leaf, a smiley face, a cross, and a skull’. There has been no mention of MS-13 being tattooed, as is.
{{/usCountry}}
'MS-13' was also not seen in the previous images of Abrego Garcia's knuckle tattoos.
“You know those photos of the gang tattoos on Abrego Garcia’s knuckles. They’re photoshopped. But Trump himself has shared the pic,” one social media user pointed out.
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.
Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.
Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.
Home/World News/Us News/Did Trump show doctored photo of Kilmar Abrego Garcia's tattoos to prove MS-13 link?
{{^htLoading}}
Advertisement
{{/htLoading}}
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
{{#usCountry}}{{/usCountry}}
Hindustantimes wants to start sending you push notifications. Click allow to subscribe
