A man mistakenly deported from Maryland to one of El Salvador’s most notorious prisons has been confirmed “alive and secure,” according to a US State Department official.
The update comes shortly after the US Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to assist in his release and return.
Michael Kozak of the State Department told a judge on Saturday that Kilmar Abrego Garcia is currently detained at the Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot) in El Salvador.
Garcia, a 29-year-old Salvadoran national, had been granted protection from deportation in 2019 due to fears of gang-related persecution.
However, he was among 261 individuals, comprising mostly Venezuelans and Salvadorans, who were deported to Cecot under a controversial agreement between the US and El Salvador.
Although US officials admit Garcia’s deportation was an “administrative mistake,” they maintain he has ties to the MS-13 gang—an allegation his legal team firmly denies.
Despite legal protections in place, the Trump administration had resisted efforts to return Garcia to the US, challenging a ruling by Maryland District Judge Paula Xinis.
The Supreme Court, however, unanimously upheld her directive, prompting the judge to demand daily progress updates.
Garcia’s lawyers have criticized the US government’s handling of the case, accusing it of attempting to sidestep legal orders while his safety remains in jeopardy.
Trump, who is scheduled to meet El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele on Monday, told reporters he would comply with the court’s ruling, stating, “I respect the Supreme Court.”
In a message posted on Truth Social, Trump thanked Bukele for receiving deportees, labelling them “violent alien enemies” and “barbarians,” and said their fate now rests with the Salvadoran authorities.