While legacy media obsess over whether Pres. Trump’s photo of deported illegal alien Kilmar Abrego Garcia has Photoshopped markings on it, the real question is whether or not Garcia has tattoos representing MS-13 gang membership – which would signal he is part of a terrorist group.
In an interview with ABC’s Terry Moran on Tuesday, Pres. Trump insisted that a photo of the illegal alien shows Garcia has finger tattoos clearly spelling out “MS-13,” apparently mistaking characters added to interpret the Marijuana, Smile, Cross and Skull (MSCS) tattoos on Garcia’s knuckles.
Trump had previously posted a picture on social media in which he’s holding a photo of Garcia’s hand, with a Marijuana, Smile, Cross and a Skull tattooed on his fingers and “M,” “S,” “1” and “3” appearing above them.
Past and subsequent investigative reports have found that the Marijuana, Smile, Cross and Skull tattoos shown on Garcia’s fingers are real, but the MS-13 markings may have been added onto the photo before it was given to Trump.
Even the left-wing “fact-check” website Snopes concludes that Marijuana, Smile, Cross and Skull tattoo images are real – and that the “MS-13” markings were added to annotate the tattoos and provide “context”:
“Trump's photo of the tattoos was edited, likely in an attempt to add context”
….
“Although the original image held by Trump in the photo was genuine, it had been edited to insert the text "MS-13" above the symbols tattooed on Abrego Garcia's hand.
“While publicly available evidence confirmed the image shared by Trump was authentic in origin, it also confirmed that the image had been altered to insert the text "MS-13" above the actual tattoos — in effect annotating them.”
Regardless of whether or not the translation of the symbolism of the tattoos was added to Trump’s photo, the important issue is whether or not Garcia is a member of the terrorist MS-13 gang – which authentication of the Marijuana, Smile, Cross and Skull tattoos suggests he is.
Liberal media continue to claim the tattoo images of Marijuana, Smile, Cross and Skull don’t represent ‘MS-13.’ But, it’s easy to see how the capital letters of the first two could be used to signify M and S, and the shape of the Cross could be read as “1”.
The meaning of the Skull image is more cryptic, however.
The mouth and eyes of the skull form a triangle and, as TattooMeaningz.com explains, triangles are used by gangs and can be used to symbolize the number three:
“Triangles are not only visually striking but also hold deep symbolic meaning across cultures, religions, and philosophies. In particular, the power of three—whether represented by three sides, three points, or three interlocking triangles.”
….
“In prison culture, the three-dot triangle tattoo holds additional layers of significance. It is linked to the “mi vida loca” concept but also serves as a marker of one’s allegiance to a specific group or gang. The positioning and orientation of the tattoo may convey distinct messages, such as affiliation with a particular gang, the completion of a significant prison sentence, or mourning a lost comrade.”
"Ask any law or immigration enforcement official who’s been on the ground about Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s tattoos: they’re MS-13," White House spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News Digital Wednesday when asked about other photos appearing not to show ‘MS13’ tattooed on Abrego Garcia's hand:
“An ICE investigation, a local police investigation, and the government of El Salvador have all determined that he is a wife-beating MS-13 terrorist illegal alien who should never have been in the United States. There is no dispute about these facts.”
And, as a court document filed in a separate case by the U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York explains:
“[T]he defendant has tattoos symbolizing his membership in the MS-13, including a skull on his left hand and the ‘three dots’ on his left wrist, which, in sum and substance, symbolize the cemetery, prison and hospital, the three places MS-13 members will end up. Still further, at the time of his arrest, the defendant was wearing blue and white clothing, which is another symbol of MS-13 membership…
“MS-13 colors are generally blue and white, sometimes with the number ‘13’; MS-13 members and associates are not permitted to wear the color red, the color of MS-13’s chief rival, the 18th Street gang. MS-13 members often wear Nike Cortez sneakers, in white or blue, to signify their MS-13 membership.”
The Grok AI chatbot also explains the relationship of the Skull image, MS-13 and gang membership:
“In the context of gang symbols, a skull can sometimes be associated with the number 3, particularly in tattoos or graffiti, but this is not a universal or direct representation across all gangs. The connection often stems from specific gang iconography, where a skull's three prominent holes (two eye sockets and one nasal cavity) are used to symbolize the number 3. This symbolism is most notably linked to the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang, where the skull can represent the ‘3’ in ‘13,’ aligning with their use of the number 13 to signify the letter ‘M’ (the 13th letter of the alphabet) or their affiliation with the Mexican Mafia.”
What’s more, there’s only a one in six chance that the Marijuana, Smile, Cross and Skull tattoos would appear in that exact order (M, S, 1, 3), if Garcia had randomly assigned them to his knuckles.
Nonetheless, even if Garcia’s actual tattoos don’t definitively identify him as a member of MS-13, there are plenty of reasons to conclude that he is, as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) details in its own fact-check of the issue.
“The mainstream media has peddled a sob story about Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The facts are he is an illegal alien from El Salvador, a MS-13 gang member, and has a history of violence,” the April 16, 2025 DHS fact sheet explains.
Of the eight documented, bullet-pointed facts about Garcia provided by the DHS, all but two provide strong evidence that he is a member of the MS-13 gang:
- When Garcia was arrested, he was found with rolls of cash and drugs.
- He was arrested with two other members of MS-13.
- When arrested, he was wearing a sweatshirt with roles of money covering the ears, mouth, and eyes of presidents on various currency denominations. This is a known MS-13 gang symbol of see no evil, hear no evil, say no evil.
- Two judges found that he was a member of MS-13. That finding has not been disturbed.
- Intelligence reports found that he was involved in human trafficking.
- He is an illegal alien from El Salvador.
- He claimed fear of being returned to El Salvador because he would be persecuted by MS-13's rival gang, Barrio-18.
- Jennifer Vasquez, Garcia’s wife, petitioned for an order of protection against him. She claimed he punched her, scratched her, and ripped off her shirt, and bruised her.
In the case of the two judges, one concluded that Garcia was a member of MS-13 and a second judge upheld that ruling, as BBC.com explains:
“[T]he judge who presided over his 2019 case said that based on the confidential information, there was sufficient evidence to support Mr Abrego Garcia's gang membership. That finding was later upheld by another judge.”
Thus, while the “MS-13” markings in Trump’s photo may be disputed, it would require either extreme bias or willful ignorance to deny there’s a preponderance of evidence that Garcia is a member of the MS-13 terrorist gang.
On Wednesday’s episode of Fox News Channel’s “The Five,” Co-hosts Jesse Watters, Greg Gutfeld, and Judge Jeanine Pirro took on Democrat Strategist Jessica Tarlov to expose the absurdity of denying Garcia’s MS-13 membership.
For one thing, they point out that gang leaders, like mob bosses, don’t just let strangers and random outsiders hang out with them.
