Trump Posts Photoshopped Image of Kilmar Abrego Garcia's Knuckle Tattoos With Disputed 'MS-13' Interpretation (2025)

A digitally altered image that Donald Trump shared of Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s knuckle tattoos – which the president presented as evidence that the deported El Salvadorian is a member of the MS-13 gang – stirred two separate controversies this week: from people who thought it was an incredibly clumsy Photoshop attempt, and from others who saw the obvious labels as a questionable interpretation of the symbols on his left hand.

Whatever the case, the president’s theatrical reveal to stem the growing controversy Friday wasn’t the slam-dunk Trump had perhaps hoped it would be.

Trump posed with the printed image in the Oval Office and later posted it across his social media accounts, declaring: “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.”

In the hours that followed, some online sleuths found separate recent images of the former Maryland resident’s hand without the “M,” “S,” “1” and “3” that appear above the symbols in Trump’s version.

Many suggested they had uncovered a clumsy attempt at a visual deception, including former Minnesota state senator Linda Higgins, who wrote: “Hey Old Man, @realDonaldTrump, have someone teach you about Photoshop. This is an excellent example of altering a photo, in this case to make your illegal actions look good. But instead you look foolish.”

But a close look at the photo shows obvious signs that the letters are, in fact, intentionally added labels applied to explain the symbols confirmed in other photos of Abrego Garcia’s left hand.

The characters “M,” “S,” “1” and “3” are different colors, are clearly a computer-generated font and aligned vertically. In addition, typed words were added below each symbol in almost illegibly tiny letters: “Marijuana,” “Smiley,” “Cross” and “Skull.”

Trump’s communications team could have cleared that notion up ahead of time by disclosing that the photo was labeled – but chose not to. Neither Trump nor his communications team have addressed the controversy as of midday Saturday.

The interpretation of those symbols is not so cut-and-dried, however. The four symbols –“Marijuana,” “Smiley,” “Cross” and “Skull” – have not been found in any law enforcement guidelines or manuals to stand in for MS-13 gang identification.

But the messaging –that they are proof Abrego Garcia is a member of the notorious El Salvadorian criminal operation – was already out there.

An ICE source told The New York Post that Abrego Garcia would be required to get an identifying tattoo to be a part of MS-13, but they had “never heard of those resemblances being made.” The source added that the only way to know whether the president’s interpretation is accurate would be from sources and informants within the notorious The Terrorism Confinement Centerprison in El Salvador.

U.S. courts have demanded the Trump administration “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return to the United States, where he has been living for the last 14 years in Maryland with his wife and young child. The administration has insisted that he is a gang member after officials initially admitted his deportation was initiated by an administrative error.