-As Liberia Agrees to Host Him Though at the Center of U.S. Gang Dispute
By Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia, Liberia – The Government of the Republic of Liberia has announced it will receive Mr. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia on a strictly temporary and humanitarian basis, following a formal request from the United States. Garcia is at the Center of U.S. Gang Dispute.
The decision, reached after what the government describes as “extensive consultations” with national and international partners, underscores Liberia’s “enduring commitment to upholding the principles of human dignity, international solidarity, and compassion.”
In an Executive Mansion release, the government positioned the move within its historical role as “a responsible member of the international community,” with a tradition of offering refuge. The process will be managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in coordination with Liberian security and immigration authorities, with assurances from the U.S. Department of State.
The government outlined a series of safeguards for the transfer, including comprehensive security vetting, respect for due process, a guarantee of non-refoulement, and coordination with the United Nations to find a durable solution. However, the announcement has been met with apprehension by some Liberians, following reports detailing Mr. Abrego Garcia’s background.
Profiling Garcia:
Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national born in July 1995 in San Salvador, grew up in a working-class neighborhood where his father worked as a taxi-driver and former policeman, and his mother ran a small pupusería business out of their home. At age 16 (in 2011) he unlawfully entered the United States, eventually settling in Maryland, where he lived for years, married a U.S. citizen and fathered a child (and became step-father to his wife’s two older children).
In 2019, U.S. immigration authorities granted him “withholding of removal” such that he could not be deported to El Salvador, because a judge found he faced a well-founded fear of persecution there owing to gang threats. He was living and working in Maryland as a sheet-metal apprentice with union membership, and appeared to be integrated into the local community.
On March 12, 2025, U.S. immigration agents intercepted Abrego Garcia in Maryland while he was picking up his young son from his grandmother’s home; they informed him his immigration “status had changed,” arrested him, and on March 15 he was deported to El Salvador.
The U.S. government later acknowledged this removal was due to an “administrative error.” Upon arrival in El Salvador he was sent to a maximum-security prison known as the Center for Terrorism Confinement (CECOT). Following the recognition of the error, U.S. courts compelled the government to bring him back to the United States; on June 6, 2025, he was returned.
Upon his return, federal prosecutors in Tennessee indicted him on charges of conspiracy to unlawfully transport undocumented immigrants for financial gain and unlawful transportation of undocumented immigrants for financial gain—charges stemming in part from a December 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee when he was stopped while driving a vehicle carrying several undocumented passengers.
A federal judge on June 22, 2025 determined the government had failed to show Abrego Garcia posed a danger to the community or a flight risk, citing that much of the government’s evidence was “double hearsay” and inconsistent; the judge ordered that he could be released from criminal custody, although immigration authorities (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) planned to detain him for possible deportation.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government informed federal court that it intended to deport Abrego Garcia not to El Salvador (because of his prior protection) but rather to a third country—countries such as Uganda, Eswatini or Liberia were mentioned—even though he has no known ties to those nations. His defense attorneys argue that the prosecution and deportation efforts are retaliatory and selective, asserting that the government is pressuring him to plead guilty and effectively punish him for having challenged his earlier erroneous deportation.
In August 2025 the government of Costa Rica offered to accept Abrego Garcia after any criminal sentence in the United States and to grant him refugee or residency status, so long as he does not then get transferred to a third country or return to El Salvador. However, Liberia later became an option.
Experts consulted by BBC Verify have cast doubt on the definitiveness of this evidence. Steven Dudley, a journalist and author who studies MS-13, confirmed that the Chicago Bulls logo has been used by the gang as a symbol but stressed that wearing it is not exclusive to members.
“Any assertions about gang affiliation would need to be corroborated with testimony, criminal history, and other corroborating evidence,” Mr. Dudley said. He also clarified that the term “chequeo,” which was used to describe Mr. Abrego Garcia’s alleged rank, typically refers to a recruit, not an established member.
Further controversy surrounds tattoos on Mr. Abrego Garcia’s hands, which the previous U.S. administration labeled as gang symbols. While Trump-nominee Terrance Cole stated the tattoos were consistent with MS-13 associations, other experts have expressed skepticism, noting the common nature of the designs.
In its statement, the Liberian government made no reference to these specific allegations but emphasized that its decision was “undertaken voluntarily, in good faith, and solely on humanitarian grounds.” The implementation of the transfer, authorities say, will be guided by the stated safeguards to ensure “the highest standards of safety, transparency, and humane treatment.”
