Reports indicate that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a gang member with ties to MS-13 from El Salvador, is set to be deported to Eswatini, a small country in Southwest Africa, after he declined to cooperate with the Trump administration.
Garcia, now living in Maryland, was previously accused of smuggling individuals who were deported to El Salvador earlier this year. He received a notification from the Department of Homeland Security about his upcoming removal via email on Friday.
Eswatini was designated as his destination after Garcia cited 22 nations where he claimed he couldn’t safely reside due to fears of “persecution and torture.” The removal notice included countries like Uganda, Mexico, and several others in Central and South America.
This deportation order follows Garcia’s guilty plea on human smuggling charges after he rejected an offer for a sentence in Costa Rica.
El Salvador had previously agreed to accept him on March 15. After being arrested in Putnam County, Tennessee, Garcia was released on August 22, allowing him to return to Maryland under electronic monitoring and home confinement.
Shortly after his release, the Department of Homeland Security indicated it would be deporting cross-border offenders to Uganda; however, it now seems they’ve opted for the lesser-known option of Eswatini.
Previously, during the Trump administration, five individuals were deported to a prison in Eswatini known for its strict security. Legal representatives for one individual claimed their client was sent to Eswatini “inexplicably and illegally,” despite attempts from the home country to accept him back.
Eswatini is known as the last absolute monarchy in Africa, nestled between South Africa and Mozambique. Reports suggest that the reigning king, Mwati III, has 16 wives and numerous children.
Notably, around 32% of Eswatini’s population is living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.
