Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) was seen sipping margaritas with MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported to his home country of El Salvador.
Democrats have become obsessed with Abrego Garcia in the past few weeks, making unhinged statements demanding that the El Salvadorian illegal alien gang member, wife beater, and alleged human trafficker be returned to the United States despite being deported and held in El Salvador’s supermax prison, the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT). Abrego Garcia was deported and sent to CECOT because he was a member of MS-13, which the Trump administration has designated as a foreign terrorist group, and because it is illegal to be a member of a gang in El Salvador.
Van Hollen even went so far as to travel to El Salvador and likely violate the Logan Act by demanding that El Salvador release the criminal illegal alien into the U.S. The El Salvadorian government initially denied his request to see Abrego Garcia, and soldiers blocked him from entering CECOT when he tried to illegally enter the prison. However, the country apparently decided to let him see Abrego Garcia on the evening of April 17, dispelling leftist rumors that the terrorist had been killed in the prison.
El Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele published photos of Van Hollen meeting with Abrego Garcia in a post on X, mocking the leftist narrative that the criminal illegal alien was dead or kept in inhumane conditions.
“Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the ‘death camps’ & ‘torture’, now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!” Bukele wrote in the post, sharing images of the senator hanging out with the MS-13 gang member.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the “death camps” & “torture”, now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!🍹 pic.twitter.com/r6VWc6Fjtn
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) April 18, 2025
The mainstream media also shared the images of Van Hollen and Abrego Garcia together, though they conveniently left out the margaritas from the photos, instead sharing images of them sitting at the table with just glasses of water.
Van Hollen shared those images too, avoiding photos of himself drinking alcohol with the gang member.
Notice how Chris Van Hollen very conspicuously chose a photo *without* margaritas in it pic.twitter.com/KXRHihSsia
— John Hasson (@SonofHas) April 18, 2025
“I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar. Tonight I had that chance. I have called his wife, Jennifer, to pass along his message of love. I look forward to providing a full update upon my return,” Van Hollen wrote in the X post.
I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar. Tonight I had that chance. I have called his wife, Jennifer, to pass along his message of love. I look forward to providing a full update upon my return. pic.twitter.com/U9y2gZpxCb
— Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) April 18, 2025
Van Hollen rightfully faced extensive criticism and fierce backlash on social media, with many accusing him of violating the Logan Act and demanding that he be arrested. The Logan Act, or 18 U.S. Code § 953, states: “Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.”
Popular X user Gunther Eagleman wrote: “I’m almost positive you have violated the Logan Act. Have fun dealing with the consequences. All for a stunt that does nothing but waste tax dollars. Hope you end up in prison for it.”
Hey Dipsht,
I'm almost positive you have violated the Logan Act.
Have fun dealing with the consequences. All for a stunt that does nothing but waste tax dollars.
Hope you end up in prison for it.
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) April 18, 2025
“Senator Van Hollen, why are you undermining our sacred democracy by trying to usurp the foreign policy power of the President? We must take all threats to our democracy seriously,” wrote X user Cryptid Politics.
Senator Van Hollen, why are you undermining our sacred democracy by trying to usurp the foreign policy power of the President?
We must take all threats to our democracy seriously.
— Cryptid Politics 🇺🇸🐊 (@CryptidPolitics) April 18, 2025
“It’s nice to know Sen. Van Hollen can smile and have a good time over margaritas with an MS-13 wife-beater, as opposed to sitting & smirking one month ago when Trump honored a child violated & murdered by illegal immigrants,” another user wrote, sharing an image of congressional Democrats during Trump’s Joint Address to Congress.
It's nice to know Sen. Van Hollen can smile and have a good time over margaritas with an MS-13 wife-beater, as opposed to sitting & smirking one month ago when Trump honored a child violated & murdered by illegal immigrants. https://t.co/BZmBkC6u1W pic.twitter.com/Z4vlkxz3H4
— Tony Kinnett (@TheTonus) April 18, 2025
