Trump paying El Salvador for keeping Kilmar Abrego Garcia in prison? Maryland senator's big claim

Senator Chris Van Hollen claimed that Trump is paying El Salvador for keeping Kilmar Abrego Garcia in prison

Published on: Apr 17, 2025, 06:48:24 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Senator Chris Van Hollen, who visited El Salvador to push for Kilmar Abrego Garcia's return, claimed that President Donald Trump's administration is ‘paying’ the Central American country to keep the Maryland resident in prison. However, he did not back his claim with evidence.

Donald Trump has been accused of paying El Salvador for keeping Kilmar Abrego Garcia in prison (AFP)

Kilmar Garcia was arrested and deported to El Salvador last month, after officials claimed that he was associated with the street gang MS-13. However, Democrats immediately slammed the Trump administration. The 29-year-old is currently in prison.

Maryland Sen Van Hollen said Wednesday that El Salvador had denied his request to release Kilmar Garcia, who is a US resident. The lawmaker added that he was also refused a visit or phone call. He asked Vice President Felix Ulloa why Abrego Garcia was still locked up in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) if he had committed no crime.

He then went on to accuse the Trump administration of paying El Salvador.

"His answer was that the Trump administration is paying El Salvador, the government of El Salvador, to keep him at CECOT," Van Hollen said. “I'm asking President Bukele... to do the right thing and allow Mr Abrego Garcia to walk out of prison, a man who's charged with no crime, convicted of no crime, and who was illegally abducted from the United States.”

The Trump administration has admitted to an ‘administrative error’. A federal judge asked officials to ‘facilitate’ Kilmar Garcia's return.

On Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security said that the Salvador native has been accused of beating and scratching his wife in the past. Trump's Attorney General Pam Bondi released some documents, according to which Maryland police stated in a 2019 report that they believe the 29-year-old was an active gang member.

Kilmar Garcia's lawyers and family members have yet to respond to these claims.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
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.Read More

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