Van Hollen in El Salvador

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just a Maryland father looking for work at Home Depot who is now in El Salvador because he was wearing a Bulls jersey.

Ignore that he had $1100 and threw away containers of drugs as police were approaching.

And still the government admitted it was an error to deport him.

If Garcia had drugs as you allege here, then the government can bring that into evidence in a court of law, and prosecute him. Our country should not just disappear people with no trial, no evidence.

Imprisonment in CECOT, with the US government claiming it can do nothing since it's in another country, is a terrible system, for any criminal or non-criminal.

*did* he have drugs?

The only "case" against him that I can see is he was hanging around with some known gang members, and a guy who has provided reliable information in the past said he knew he was a gang member.

But even that informant didn't accuse him of any crime.

If there was evidence at the time he was picked up at the Home Depot that he had drugs or had committed a crime, wouldn't that evidence have been submitted? That's how it works on the crime TV shows anyhow.

Isn't that how gang members get arrested? They commit a crime, are accused, judged, and sentenced. Then they have a criminal record and then they can be deported.

What happened with this case? They didn't have a court case because there was no evidence?

The evidence is in the field report, introduced in the immigration hearing. It is why he was not released on bond.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm still trying to understand what the hoodie was that Garcia was accused of wearing that showed he was a gang member. Was it this one?

https://www.fashionnova.com/products/bank-rolls-sweatshirt-black

Seems to fit the description.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am all for getting El Salvador guy to get released ASAP but this was such a publicity stunt.

I mean - he's a foreigner flying to a country who has gone on the record saying no can do getting guy released. He will have to abide by that - no way does he get preferred treatment to visit and he had to know that. This kind of thing only gets results by working back door channels and politics - like a ton of it.

Publicity stunts like this only backfire. It does nothing to move the case forward only makes El Salvador more likely to anger and push back that we think we can do whatever we want in their country.

This is exactly why Dems lost. I don't know this official but I actually am turned off by him. He's not sincere in his beliefs at all. He knows how the game is played and if he doesn't he has zero political savvy and sucks at his job, so no, I'd think twice voting for him.

It's all about him he does not care about getting this guy released. Prob more of a domestic battle really but other options if v El Salvador is def not to silly land in their country and make demands!!!

[phone]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The report says he was wearing a "sweatshirt with rolls of money covering up the faces of the presidents". Later it says he had about $1,100 in "funds" on him, Are they talking about the rolls of money? Why doesn't it say that? He was wearing a cap and a hoodie, and we found rolls of money on him, proving gang affiliation?

I don't really see anything in this report that is criminal? Am I missing something?

I also don't think $1100 in cash means you are a gang member? Illegal immigrants usually can't have bank accounts, right? They get paid in cash...

So much for the never committed a crime mantra.

I mean, we know that people here illegally committed the crime of being here, illegally. No one is arguing that.

But we don't send them to concentration camps, with no due process. The process was not followed with this man.

You have to follow the law and do things the right way. And sending people to out of country concentration camps isn't the right way.

I am 100% certain we are paying the president of El Salvadore money for this, too. It should be easy enough to find that information, right? There must be some kind of record of government spending.

If we are paying money to El Salvador for these prisoners? That needs to stop immediately. That's not right at all.

This is the crux of the matter. Van Hollen looks like an opportunistic dingbat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just a Maryland father looking for work at Home Depot who is now in El Salvador because he was wearing a Bulls jersey.

Ignore that he had $1100 and threw away containers of drugs as police were approaching.

And still the government admitted it was an error to deport him.

If Garcia had drugs as you allege here, then the government can bring that into evidence in a court of law, and prosecute him. Our country should not just disappear people with no trial, no evidence.

Imprisonment in CECOT, with the US government claiming it can do nothing since it's in another country, is a terrible system, for any criminal or non-criminal.

*did* he have drugs?

The only "case" against him that I can see is he was hanging around with some known gang members, and a guy who has provided reliable information in the past said he knew he was a gang member.

But even that informant didn't accuse him of any crime.

If there was evidence at the time he was picked up at the Home Depot that he had drugs or had committed a crime, wouldn't that evidence have been submitted? That's how it works on the crime TV shows anyhow.

Isn't that how gang members get arrested? They commit a crime, are accused, judged, and sentenced. Then they have a criminal record and then they can be deported.

What happened with this case? They didn't have a court case because there was no evidence?

The evidence is in the field report, introduced in the immigration hearing. It is why he was not released on bond.

Sorry, explain it to me as I guess I am an idiot.

What evidence of a crime is in the field report?

A confidential informant's statement that he was a gang member can't be evidence, can it? That's hearsay?

The other evidence is that he was wearing a baseball cap and a hoodie with a graphic of rolled up money? What kind of evidence is that? Help me to understand.

The other evidence of a crime that he committed in the field report is that --- what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The report says he was wearing a "sweatshirt with rolls of money covering up the faces of the presidents". Later it says he had about $1,100 in "funds" on him, Are they talking about the rolls of money? Why doesn't it say that? He was wearing a cap and a hoodie, and we found rolls of money on him, proving gang affiliation?

I don't really see anything in this report that is criminal? Am I missing something?

I also don't think $1100 in cash means you are a gang member? Illegal immigrants usually can't have bank accounts, right? They get paid in cash...

So much for the never committed a crime mantra.

I mean, we know that people here illegally committed the crime of being here, illegally. No one is arguing that.

But we don't send them to concentration camps, with no due process. The process was not followed with this man.

You have to follow the law and do things the right way. And sending people to out of country concentration camps isn't the right way.

I am 100% certain we are paying the president of El Salvadore money for this, too. It should be easy enough to find that information, right? There must be some kind of record of government spending.

If we are paying money to El Salvador for these prisoners? That needs to stop immediately. That's not right at all.

This is the crux of the matter. Van Hollen looks like an opportunistic dingbat.

At least he tried to do something. Raise awareness. Try to get proof of life because frankly, it's quite likely he is dead.

The man is from his district. His wife and child are US citizens in his district. If my husband was grabbed up and removed from the country with no due process, I'd appreciate my representative flying down there, at least to get some publicity and attention to the situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just a Maryland father looking for work at Home Depot who is now in El Salvador because he was wearing a Bulls jersey.

Ignore that he had $1100 and threw away containers of drugs as police were approaching.

And still the government admitted it was an error to deport him.

If Garcia had drugs as you allege here, then the government can bring that into evidence in a court of law, and prosecute him. Our country should not just disappear people with no trial, no evidence.

Imprisonment in CECOT, with the US government claiming it can do nothing since it's in another country, is a terrible system, for any criminal or non-criminal.

*did* he have drugs?

The only "case" against him that I can see is he was hanging around with some known gang members, and a guy who has provided reliable information in the past said he knew he was a gang member.

But even that informant didn't accuse him of any crime.

If there was evidence at the time he was picked up at the Home Depot that he had drugs or had committed a crime, wouldn't that evidence have been submitted? That's how it works on the crime TV shows anyhow.

Isn't that how gang members get arrested? They commit a crime, are accused, judged, and sentenced. Then they have a criminal record and then they can be deported.

What happened with this case? They didn't have a court case because there was no evidence?

The evidence is in the field report, introduced in the immigration hearing. It is why he was not released on bond.

Sorry, explain it to me as I guess I am an idiot.

What evidence of a crime is in the field report?

A confidential informant's statement that he was a gang member can't be evidence, can it? That's hearsay?

The other evidence is that he was wearing a baseball cap and a hoodie with a graphic of rolled up money? What kind of evidence is that? Help me to understand.

The other evidence of a crime that he committed in the field report is that --- what?

It is evidence. You don't think it is valuable evidence, but that is what not was asked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The report says he was wearing a "sweatshirt with rolls of money covering up the faces of the presidents". Later it says he had about $1,100 in "funds" on him, Are they talking about the rolls of money? Why doesn't it say that? He was wearing a cap and a hoodie, and we found rolls of money on him, proving gang affiliation?

I don't really see anything in this report that is criminal? Am I missing something?

I also don't think $1100 in cash means you are a gang member? Illegal immigrants usually can't have bank accounts, right? They get paid in cash...

So much for the never committed a crime mantra.

I mean, we know that people here illegally committed the crime of being here, illegally. No one is arguing that.

But we don't send them to concentration camps, with no due process. The process was not followed with this man.

You have to follow the law and do things the right way. And sending people to out of country concentration camps isn't the right way.

I am 100% certain we are paying the president of El Salvadore money for this, too. It should be easy enough to find that information, right? There must be some kind of record of government spending.

If we are paying money to El Salvador for these prisoners? That needs to stop immediately. That's not right at all.

This is the crux of the matter. Van Hollen looks like an opportunistic dingbat.

At least he tried to do something. Raise awareness. Try to get proof of life because frankly, it's quite likely he is dead.

The man is from his district. His wife and child are US citizens in his district. If my husband was grabbed up and removed from the country with no due process, I'd appreciate my representative flying down there, at least to get some publicity and attention to the situation.

The case was getting plenty of attention. Van Hollen turned it into a story about Trump over reach and defiance of the courts into a story about Democrats loving criminal immigrants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The report says he was wearing a "sweatshirt with rolls of money covering up the faces of the presidents". Later it says he had about $1,100 in "funds" on him, Are they talking about the rolls of money? Why doesn't it say that? He was wearing a cap and a hoodie, and we found rolls of money on him, proving gang affiliation?

I don't really see anything in this report that is criminal? Am I missing something?

I also don't think $1100 in cash means you are a gang member? Illegal immigrants usually can't have bank accounts, right? They get paid in cash...

So much for the never committed a crime mantra.

I mean, we know that people here illegally committed the crime of being here, illegally. No one is arguing that.

But we don't send them to concentration camps, with no due process. The process was not followed with this man.

You have to follow the law and do things the right way. And sending people to out of country concentration camps isn't the right way.

I am 100% certain we are paying the president of El Salvadore money for this, too. It should be easy enough to find that information, right? There must be some kind of record of government spending.

If we are paying money to El Salvador for these prisoners? That needs to stop immediately. That's not right at all.

This is the crux of the matter. Van Hollen looks like an opportunistic dingbat.

It’s worse than that.

Van Hollen is trying to make himself look like the valiant White Knight, charging to rescue his “little brown brother” from the clutches of the evil orange ogre!

His junket is a farce.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So far on this thread it has been stated:

1. MS13 gang member. Police paperwork details MS13 gang member indicators on his person.
2. Verified habitual wife beater with restraining order against him.
3. Verified illegal alien denied amnesty.
4. Picked up with $1,000+ cash in his pocket and packets of drugs thrown on the ground as cop approached.
5. On an FBI terrorist watch list.
6. Verified picked up by police in TN, suspected of human trafficking the people in the vehicle he was driving.

Number three - he applied and was rejected for asylum in 2019 but this was denied because he waited too long to apply after entry

https://www.justice.gov/ag/media/1396906/dl?inline

[Anonymous]

Article for number six

https://tennesseestar.com/justice/bidens-fbi-ordered-tn-highway-patrol-to-release-maryland-man-recently-deported-to-el-salvador-after-he-was-detained-in-2022-traffic-stop-on-suspicion-of-human-trafficking/tpappert/2025/04/16/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The report says he was wearing a "sweatshirt with rolls of money covering up the faces of the presidents". Later it says he had about $1,100 in "funds" on him, Are they talking about the rolls of money? Why doesn't it say that? He was wearing a cap and a hoodie, and we found rolls of money on him, proving gang affiliation?

I don't really see anything in this report that is criminal? Am I missing something?

I also don't think $1100 in cash means you are a gang member? Illegal immigrants usually can't have bank accounts, right? They get paid in cash...

So much for the never committed a crime mantra.

I mean, we know that people here illegally committed the crime of being here, illegally. No one is arguing that.

But we don't send them to concentration camps, with no due process. The process was not followed with this man.

You have to follow the law and do things the right way. And sending people to out of country concentration camps isn't the right way.

I am 100% certain we are paying the president of El Salvadore money for this, too. It should be easy enough to find that information, right? There must be some kind of record of government spending.

If we are paying money to El Salvador for these prisoners? That needs to stop immediately. That's not right at all.

This is the crux of the matter. Van Hollen looks like an opportunistic dingbat.

It’s worse than that.

Van Hollen is trying to make himself look like the valiant White Knight, charging to rescue his “little brown brother” from the clutches of the evil orange ogre!

His junket is a farce.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The report says he was wearing a "sweatshirt with rolls of money covering up the faces of the presidents". Later it says he had about $1,100 in "funds" on him, Are they talking about the rolls of money? Why doesn't it say that? He was wearing a cap and a hoodie, and we found rolls of money on him, proving gang affiliation?

I don't really see anything in this report that is criminal? Am I missing something?

I also don't think $1100 in cash means you are a gang member? Illegal immigrants usually can't have bank accounts, right? They get paid in cash...

So much for the never committed a crime mantra.

I mean, we know that people here illegally committed the crime of being here, illegally. No one is arguing that.

But we don't send them to concentration camps, with no due process. The process was not followed with this man.

You have to follow the law and do things the right way. And sending people to out of country concentration camps isn't the right way.

I am 100% certain we are paying the president of El Salvadore money for this, too. It should be easy enough to find that information, right? There must be some kind of record of government spending.

If we are paying money to El Salvador for these prisoners? That needs to stop immediately. That's not right at all.

This is the crux of the matter. Van Hollen looks like an opportunistic dingbat.

It’s worse than that.

Van Hollen is trying to make himself look like the valiant White Knight, charging to rescue his “little brown brother” from the clutches of the evil orange ogre!

His junket is a farce.

What do you call the trip that this MAGA congressman took to CECOT earlier this week? Wonder why he was let in to the prison...

PS. I prefer Van Hollen's optics than the optics of a member of congress from the United States of America posing in front of prisoners in a foreign country like they're props.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The report says he was wearing a "sweatshirt with rolls of money covering up the faces of the presidents". Later it says he had about $1,100 in "funds" on him, Are they talking about the rolls of money? Why doesn't it say that? He was wearing a cap and a hoodie, and we found rolls of money on him, proving gang affiliation?

I don't really see anything in this report that is criminal? Am I missing something?

I also don't think $1100 in cash means you are a gang member? Illegal immigrants usually can't have bank accounts, right? They get paid in cash...

So much for the never committed a crime mantra.

I mean, we know that people here illegally committed the crime of being here, illegally. No one is arguing that.

But we don't send them to concentration camps, with no due process. The process was not followed with this man.

You have to follow the law and do things the right way. And sending people to out of country concentration camps isn't the right way.

I am 100% certain we are paying the president of El Salvadore money for this, too. It should be easy enough to find that information, right? There must be some kind of record of government spending.

If we are paying money to El Salvador for these prisoners? That needs to stop immediately. That's not right at all.

This is the crux of the matter. Van Hollen looks like an opportunistic dingbat.

Only to people who were disinclined to like him anyway.

[Anonymous]

Allowing the Republicans to visit the prison but not Democrats is like allowing prosecutors to meet a detained suspect but not defense attorneys. Except it’s even worse, as the suspect has never been convicted or charged and our highest court has asked for release. Van Hollen looks like a hero and those criticizing him look like lawless and hateful cult members.