By TX3DNews Staff
If you’ve been following the bizarre saga of Kilmar Abrego García—the Maryland man deported to El Salvador despite a U.S. court order—you might want to pour yourself a drink. Apparently, Kilmar already did.
Just weeks ago, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem toured El Salvador’s mega-prison, CECOT, flanked by shirtless, tattooed inmates crouched behind bars. The message? Cross the border illegally, and this is your future. Loud, clear, and designed to intimidate.
Now jump to April 17. Senator Chris Van Hollen lands in El Salvador—not for a prison tour, but for drinks with Kilmar at what looks like a resort café. The same Kilmar the Trump administration labeled so dangerous he had to be deported in defiance of a court ruling. There he is, sporting a checkered shirt and a Chiefs cap, looking more like someone’s cousin at a backyard BBQ than a gang-affiliated threat.
And if this is the “terrorist” we’re paying to detain—why is he out of prison?
Then came the meme moment. El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele posted photos of Kilmar and Senator Van Hollen with a caption dripping in sarcasm:
“The infamous ‘Kilmar’… has miraculously risen from the ‘death camps’ & ‘torture’, now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!”
— @nayibbukele, April 16, 2025
This is the same Kilmar the Trump administration insisted was some kind of MS-13 kingpin and “terrorist”—all without a single charge, conviction, or shred of real evidence. And yet, there he is, out of CECOT, enjoying what looks like brunch with a U.S. senator.
Bukele said he wouldn’t “smuggle” a terrorist back to the U.S., but apparently has no issue letting one out for a beachfront photo op. Either Kilmar is the world’s most relaxed “terrorist,” or someone’s been selling us a tall tale.
And let’s not forget: we’re paying for this. Under a Trump-era deal, the U.S. is giving El Salvador $6 million to detain people like Kilmar—even ones the courts said shouldn’t have been deported in the first place. It’s not just strange—it’s expensive.
So here in Texas’ 3rd Congressional District, where families are stretched thin trying to afford groceries, businesses are struggling to keep the lights on, and public school teachers are begging for basic support, we have a few questions:
- If Kilmar is really a threat, why is he sipping cocktails with a senator instead of sitting in a cell?
- If Bukele’s prison is supposed to be the world’s toughest, why does it double as a tropical café when the cameras come out?
- And most importantly: Why are Texas taxpayers helping foot the bill for what looks a lot more like a media stunt than a security operation?
We’ve got teachers in McKinney who can’t get a raise, families in Allen being priced out of their homes, and small businesses across TX-03 barely staying afloat. Yet somehow, we have millions to throw at detaining a man so allegedly dangerous that his government lets him hang out with a U.S. senator and shoot the breeze like they’re old college buddies?
Again—this isn’t about left or right. It’s about what your own eyes are telling you. Something here doesn’t add up. And at this point, it’s not just confusing—it’s insulting.
One image shows a hellish supermax designed to instill fear. The other? A supposed gang member casually chatting over drinks with a high-ranking U.S. official. Somewhere between those two scenes lies the truth—and someone’s not being honest about it.
And while the world’s scratching its head over this strange episode, Rep. Keith Self? Predictably silent. Not a single comment. Maybe he’s still workshopping a press release. Or maybe he’s perfectly fine with taxpayer-funded margarita diplomacy, just as long as it doesn’t mess with the day’s talking points.
But here in TX-03, we deserve better—better answers, better leadership, and definitely better use of our money.
All images featured in this article were sourced from the official X (formerly Twitter) accounts of President Nayib Bukele, Secretary Kristi Noem, and Senator Chris Van Hollen.