Skip to content
All about politics. — Story — Wednesday — Salvadoran — Crime-and-justice — Tattoos — General-news — Bring — Politics

Finger tattoos on Abrego Garcia do not automatically link him to MS-13, according to experts' findings.

Trump authorities persist in asserting that the tattooed designs on Kilmar Abrego Garcia's fingers - a cross, a skull, a smiley face, and a marijuana leaf - serve as evidence that the mistakenly deported individual is affiliated with the MS-13 gang.

,   and  ASMedia
3 min read

Fresh Take:

The Trump administration persists in asserting that a Salvadoran man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, is a member of MS-13 due to his tattoos. However, experts dispute this claim, stating the symbols—a cross, skull, smiley face, and marijuana leaf—are ambiguous and not definitive proof of gang membership.

"I've seen a smorgasbord of symbols, any number of ways to interpret them," said Jorja Leap, a University of California, Los Angeles professor who's testified as an expert in court. MS-13 tattoos often send a clear message, but the ones shown on Abrego Garcia don't fit the bill.

As part of their campaign to demonstrate Abrego Garcia's ties to MS-13, the White House shared a doctored image on social media of President Trump pointing to the man's tattoos. Above and below each symbol appeared to be added annotations—letters and words seemingly linked to the images. In reality, other photos show just the symbols, without the extraannotations.

During an interview, Trump did not deny or admit knowledge of the image manipulation. Instead, he maintained that Abrego Garcia had MS-13 tattoos, despite the ambiguity of the symbols.

"On his knuckles, he had MS-13," the president told ABC's Terry Moran, brushing off corrections. Trump scoffed when Moran suggested the letters were Photoshopped onto the image. An attorney for Abrego Garcia has since stated that no evidence introduced publicly supports these claims.

While some gangs prefer low-key or ambiguous symbols to avoid detection, MS-13 tattoos, according to Leap, aren't subtle. They're meant to showcase the gang's ruthless nature and intimidate rivals.

"MS-13 members have tattoos with 'MS-13,'" said Leap. "They're billboards, not head-scratchers, no ambiguity." Tattoos serve as a branding mechanism for gang members, reinforcing their loyalty to the group[1].

However, without additional context, it's challenging to definitively link these tattoos to affiliation with or membership of a gang. The fact that Abrego Garcia is a father, works as a day laborer, and has no criminal convictions in the United States may indicate he's not an active gang member[2]. Tattoos serve a purpose for gang members: they help identify friends, foes, and reinforce the gang's identity within a hostile environment[3].

Thomas Ward, a University of Southern California professor who's spent years embedded with MS-13, agrees. MS-13 members are proud of their gang membership and don't seek to hide it behind vague messages[2]. It's essential that this case is judged fairly, in a court of law, rather than in the court of public opinion.

This story was updated to include comment from Abrego Garcia's lawyer.

[1] MS-13 gang tattoos are powerful psychological markers designed to intimidate, convey allegiance, and mark a member's identity.[2] Claims linking Kilmar Abrego Garcia's tattoos to MS-13 are based on interpretations, but lack concrete evidence.[3] Tattoos are crucial for gang members, helping them identify each other within a dangerous environment.

  1. On Wednesday, the general-news and crime-and-justice sectors have been buzzing with stories about the controversy surrounding Kilmar Abrego Garcia's tattoos and his alleged affiliation with MS-13.
  2. Despite the Trump administration's assertions, experts such as Jorja Leap, a University of California, Los Angeles professor, argue that the tattoos on Abrego Garcia, which include a cross, skull, smiley face, and marijuana leaf, are not definitive proof of gang membership due to their ambiguity.
  3. It's essential to note that while some Salvadoran gang members may have ambiguous tattoos to avoid detection, MS-13 members, according to Leap and Thomas Ward, a University of Southern California professor, are usually more straightforward in displaying their gang allegiance through tattoos, which are key in reinforcing their loyalty and identity within a hostile environment.
  4. As the case against Abrego Garcia unfolds, legal representation has been advocating for a fair trial in a court of law, rather than relying on public opinion or speculation based on assumptions about gang-related tattoos.
The Trump administration persists in asserting that a cross, a skull, a smiley face, and a weed symbol inked on Kilmar Abrego Garcia's digits signify his alleged affiliation with the violent gang, MS-13, despite his mistaken expulsion to El Salvador.
The U.S. government persists in upholding their assertion that the inked designs on Kilmar Abrego Garcia's hands - a cross, a skull, a smiley face, and a cannabis leaf - are evidence supporting their accusation that he, a man mistakenly expelled to El Salvador, belongs to the violent gang MS-13.
The Trump administration persists in asserting that the ink designs on Kilmar Abrego Garcia's hands – a cross, a skull, a smiley face, and a pot leaf – serve as evidence supporting their allegation that he, the individual mistakenly expelled to El Salvador, belongs to MS-13 gang.

Read also:

Related

Latest