Beaten, starved, and tortured: Kilmar Abrego Garcia reveals SHOCKING details of treatment in El Salvador prison

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported by the Trump administration in March, has revealed shocking details of treatment in the El Salvador prison after his return. Abrego Garcia returned to the United States on June 6. In a legal filing on Wednesday (Jul 2), he alleged that he was beaten, starved, and tortured after being sent to the El Salvador prison. Despite the court’s order, the Trump administration did not facilitate the return to the US. After several months, he was charged with human smuggling, after which he was released from Salvadoran custody and sent back to the US to face those charges.

The Salvadoran anti-terrorism prison, CECOT, is known for gang violence and abuse. President Nayib Bukele said that prisoners would not be released from there, and there were few reports from inside. Abrego Garcia said that he suffered physical and mental abuse inside the prison. In a 40-page court filing, his lawyers detailed his time in prison.

In May, the Trump administration told a judge that Abrego Garcia was “in good health” and had “gained weight”. However, Abrego Garcia said that he had lost 31 pounds in two weeks and witnessed violence in the prison.

Responding to the claims, the Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said that the media was supporting a criminal. “The media’s sympathetic narrative about this criminal illegal gang member had completely fallen apart, yet they continued to peddle his sob story,” DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said.

What did Kilmar Abrego Garcia say in court filing?

In his court filing, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was among the 200 men deported that day, said that he was the first person off a plane that landed in El Salvador on March 15. He described that bright lights and cameras were pointed at him as he was pushed into a bus in shackles. He was also hit in the head by Salvadoran guards, his lawyers wrote. At the prison, a guard said, “Welcome to CECOT. Whoever entered here didn't leave.”

He was ordered to strip, change into prison clothes, and was hit to make him do it faster. He was also kicked in the legs and hit on the head and arms. His head was shaved, and he was taken to his cell while being struck with wooden batons. “By the following day, Plaintiff Abrego Garcia had visible bruises and lumps all over his body,” according to the filing.

He was sharing a cell with 20 other people, and they were forced to kneel all night. The guards hit anyone who fell from exhaustion. He was also not granted permission to use the bathroom and soiled himself. They were barely given access to soap or water. The cell had no windows or mattresses, and the lights stayed on all hours of the day. He was told by the guards that he would be moved to cells with gang members. He saw fights inside those cells, and the guards did not intervene. He had no contact with any family or lawyer for over a month.