Kilmar Abrego Garcia Was Tortured in Salvadoran Prison
Court Filing Alleges U.S. Deported Maryland Man to Torture, Then Brought Him Back for Trial
WASHINGTON — A Maryland man who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador earlier this year was tortured in one of the country’s most notorious prisons, according to new court filings submitted Wednesday.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was returned to the United States in June after mounting public and legal pressure, was subjected to beatings, sleep deprivation, denial of bathroom access, and psychological torment while held for nearly three months at the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, his attorneys said in a revised complaint filed in federal court in Maryland.
“He was once forced to kneel overnight, while guards struck anyone who collapsed from exhaustion,” the filing states. His lawyers added that Abrego Garcia soiled himself after being denied access to a toilet and was confined to a windowless, overcrowded cell with no mattresses and bright lights kept on around the clock.
Shortly after his arrival at the prison on March 15, a guard reportedly told him: “Welcome to CECOT. Whoever enters here doesn’t leave.” Within two weeks, Abrego Garcia had lost nearly 31 pounds, the complaint says.
The filing also pushes back on claims by federal authorities that Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang. His attorneys said Salvadoran prison officials acknowledged he had no gang affiliation and explicitly told him his tattoos were not gang-related.
Abrego Garcia is currently detained in Nashville, where he faces a federal indictment alleging involvement in a long-running immigrant smuggling conspiracy. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in early June that the Trump administration had brought him back to the U.S. to stand trial and said he would be deported again only after the case concluded.
But confusion over his status has mounted in recent days. In a Maryland hearing last week, Justice Department attorney Jonathan Guynn told U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis that the government intended to deport Abrego Garcia a second time—this time to an unnamed third country. A White House spokesperson later described coverage of Guynn’s statement as “fake news,” while other officials reaffirmed that Abrego Garcia would remain in custody through the end of his trial.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department appear to be at odds over how to handle his case. His attorneys have asked Judge Xinis to issue an emergency order preventing any future deportation while litigation proceeds.
Meanwhile, federal prosecutors in Tennessee are seeking to overturn a judge’s prior ruling granting Abrego Garcia release from criminal detention. A hearing on that motion is scheduled for July 16.
Another hearing is set for Monday in Maryland, where Judge Xinis will consider whether to block any additional removal actions.
Abrego Garcia’s case has drawn intense scrutiny since his deportation in March, which came despite pending legal action in federal court. Judge Xinis had originally ordered the Trump administration to “facilitate” his return in April. The administration complied in June, weeks after asserting it had no power to do so.
A spokeswoman for the president of El Salvador did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
