Senator Accuses El Salvador of Staging Deceptive Meeting Photo

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen accused the Salvadoran government of staging a photograph that falsely suggested he enjoyed margaritas with a wrongly deported Maryland resident during a meeting on April 17, 2025. Speaking to reporters at Dulles Airport, Van Hollen described the incident as a hoax he termed ‘Margarita-gate’ designed to mislead public perception.

According to Van Hollen, the photograph, shared by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, showed cocktail glasses set between him and Kilmar Ábrego García, who is held in a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. Bukele captioned the post with misleading assertions that both men were “sipping margaritas” while they discussed Ábrego García’s deportation ordeal. However, Van Hollen insisted that neither he nor Ábrego García touched the drinks, asserting the drinks were placed there to create a false narrative of camaraderie.

The senator pointed out that photographic evidence, which he took prior to the meeting, showed only coffee cups and water glasses on the table. ‘This is a lesson into the lengths that President Bukele will go to deceive people about what’s going on,’ Van Hollen said.

Buoyed by Trump supporters, Bukele’s assertions gained traction across social media, with even former President Donald Trump nodding along when a Newsmax correspondent repeated the margarita claim at a press event. Van Hollen criticized their comments as part of a broader narrative to delegitimize his efforts to highlight the plight of deported individuals.

The senator highlighted that Salvadoran officials had suggested meeting by the hotel pool to craft an image of positivity surrounding Ábrego García, whom he described as living in dire conditions at the CECOT prison. ‘They want to create this appearance that life is just lovely for Kilmar, which, of course, is a big, fat lie,’ he said.

Van Hollen’s visit to El Salvador was part of his advocacy for Ábrego García, who was wrongfully deported despite being granted a federal protection order against removal. The Trump administration has faced scrutiny for its policies that have resulted in the deportation of numerous individuals, a process labeled by some as harsh and unjust.

Continuing its efforts to question the deportation practices, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed legal motions to prevent further deportations of individuals categorized as threat members by the U.S. government without proper adjudication. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that individuals must be allowed a reasonable time to contest deportations, aligning with Van Hollen’s ongoing campaign for transparency in the treatment of vulnerable immigration cases.

As the situation evolves, questions remain about the future of Ábrego García and whether he will be allowed to return to the United States. Both the Supreme Court’s ruling and ongoing legal challenges could impact the policies that lead to similar injustices in the future.