In a recent revelation, Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen admitted that his trip to El Salvador, where he met with an alleged member of the notorious MS-13 gang, was funded by American taxpayers.
The senator's admission came during an interview with Fox News anchor Shannon Bream, who asked, "Who did pay for this trip?"
"This was an officially cleared congressional trip cleared on a bipartisan basis," Van Hollen responded.
"So taxpayer dollars?" Bream further probed.
"Yes, like every other trip," Van Hollen confirmed.
The individual Van Hollen met with is Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an El Salvadorian national who was deported from Maryland for residing illegally in the United States. Garcia, who has been accused of domestic violence and alleged gang affiliation with MS-13, is currently held at the CECOT prison in El Salvador.
Van Hollen's trip to El Salvador was not merely a diplomatic visit. The senator was on a mission to negotiate the release of Garcia, whom he believes was "illegally abducted." Upon landing in San Salvador, Van Hollen stated, "I just landed in San Salvador a little while ago, and I look forward to meeting with the team at the U.S. embassy to discuss the release of Mr. Abrego Garcia."
The senator's efforts to bring Garcia back to the U.S. have sparked controversy, especially considering Garcia's criminal background and his illegal status in the U.S. In 2019, an immigration judge ordered Garcia's removal from the U.S., a decision that was upheld by an immigration appellate court. Despite this, Van Hollen has continued to advocate for Garcia's return.
After being denied entry into the CECOT prison, Van Hollen managed to meet with Garcia. He shared a photo of their meeting, stating, "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."
However, the senator's actions were met with mockery from El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, who posted a photo of Van Hollen and Garcia enjoying margaritas together. Bukele sarcastically captioned the photo, "Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the 'death camps' & 'torture', now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!"
In response, Van Hollen accused the Salvadoran government of staging the photo. He claimed that the drinks were planted on their table by a government official while they were talking. "Neither of us touched the drinks that were in front of us...this is the lesson in the lengths that President Bukele will do to deceive people about whats going on," Van Hollen said.
According to Gateway Pundit, this incident has raised questions about the use of taxpayer dollars for such trips and the senator's advocacy for an individual with a criminal background and illegal status in the U.S. It also highlights the ongoing debate on immigration policies and the lengths to which some politicians will go to advance their agendas.
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