Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, traveled to El Salvador this week to locate Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the individual at the heart of a controversial deportation case. His visit aimed to gain insights into Garcia’s current situation following what has been described as a wrongful deportation.

Meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia

On Thursday, Van Hollen successfully met with Abrego Garcia. However, he expressed strong criticism of both El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele and former President Donald Trump, alleging they orchestrated a scenario meant to undermine his reputation and that of the deportee.

Referred to as “margarita-gate,” Van Hollen argued that the El Salvadoran government deliberately staged the meeting, evidenced by a photo released showing the two men at a table with margarita glasses. According to the senator, these drinks were introduced partway through the meeting, and neither party had consumed them.

Disputing Claims and Government Actions

During a press conference following his meeting, Van Hollen stated, “Everything happens because Bukele says it could happen.” He criticized the claims emerging from the El Salvadoran government and Trump’s circle that painted their meeting as casual and flippant, underlining that the arrangement felt suspicious from the outset.

The senator detailed how access to the maximum-security prison, CECOT, where Garcia was purportedly held, was initially denied. He noted that after he was prepared to return to the United States, he received communication indicating that Abrego Garcia was available for a meeting.

Van Hollen insisted the meeting be held in a private dining area rather than poolside, which had initially been proposed. The meeting lasted an hour, during which they had glasses of water and coffee displayed in front of them, while the contested margarita glasses were placed on the table by officials during the discussion.

The senator highlighted that the discrepancies regarding the drinks indicated a setup: “If you sip out of one of those glasses, some of whatever it was would disappear. You would see a gap. There’s no gap. No one drank anything,” he stated.

Responses from Trump and Allegations of Gang Affiliation

In response to the release of the controversial photo, Trump criticized Van Hollen, dismissing his claims as “fake” and reiterating that Abrego Garcia was linked to MS-13, a prominent gang in El Salvador. However, Van Hollen and Garcia’s family have firmly rejected these allegations, stating there is no judicial evidence supporting such claims against Garcia.

Van Hollen contended that Trump’s narrative served to deflect from the U.S. government’s obligation to comply with a Supreme Court mandate requiring facilitation of Garcia’s return to the country. He remarked, “This is a guy who’s been in CECOT. They want to create this appearance that life was just lovely for Kilmar, which, of course, is a big fat lie.”

The Broader Implications of Garcia’s Case

The senator emphasized that this incident is not solely about Garcia but pertains to the constitutional rights of all individuals living in the United States. “This case is not about just one man. It’s about protecting the constitutional rights of everyone who resides in the United States of America,” he stated.