What is the truth of Kilmar Abrego Garcia's MS-13 tattoo, a photo that Trump shared?

Donald Trump has been accused of sharing a fake image of the knuckles Kilmar Abrego Garcia which shows MS-13 written on it. Social media users pointed out that the letters M, S and the numbers 1 and 3 are superimposed on the photo and those letters and numbers do not appear on any other photos of Garcia. Garcia is a Maryland father who came to the US illegally but there was a 2019 court order that shielded him from being deported. When the Trump administration sent a number of Tren de Aragua and MS-13 members to Venezuela's notorious prison, Garcia was also sent along with them.

In a court case, the Trump administration claimed that he was wrongly deported to El Salvador, following which the court ruled that he should be brought back. But now the White House has made it clear that the person is not coming back. As defense, the Trump administration said firstly the ball is in El Salvador's court as they will have to decide whether they would release their prisoner, which Salvador president Nayib Bukele denied. Secondly, the Trump administration released several pieces of evidence to establish that Garcia is an MS-13 member, and a criminal.

What is the truth of the photoshopped photo?

The words M, S and 13 are not part of the tattoo and they were used in the photo that Trump shared to denote the meaning of the tattoo. On the knuckles of Garcia's four fingers on his left hand, there are tattoos of four symbols which stand for M, S, 1 and 3.

“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!” the 78-year-old wrote.

Another photo has gone viral in this context, in which those tattoos are hidden by love emojis posted by his wife Jennifer Vasquez Sura.

What is MS-13?

MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, is a transnational criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s. Formed by Salvadoran immigrants fleeing civil war, it initially aimed to protect community members from other gangs. Over time, it evolved into a violent criminal organization. The name "Mara Salvatrucha" likely derives from "mara" (gang), "Salva" (Salvador), and "trucha" (street smarts), with "13" possibly indicating its alliance with the Mexican Mafia, as M is the 13th letter of the alphabet.