As Democrats’ fight to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to his wife and child in Maryland, the Justice Department released new evidence to support its claims that the El Salvadorian native is both violent and a member of the notoriously violent street gang, MS-13.

According to records the government posted to social media on Wednesday, Mr. Abrego is believed to be an active MS-13 member with the rank of “Chequeo” and the moniker of “Chele.” His wife also accused him of domestic violence and sought a restraining order against him, claiming he punched, scratched, and ripped off her shirt, among other violent acts.

As the new details emerged, one senator visited the small Central American country on Wednesday demanding to the see Abrego Garcia, and several other lawmakers are planning unofficial trips of their own. Senator Van Hollen flew to San Salvador to try and meet with Mr. Abrego, only to be told by the country’s vice president, Félix Ulloa, that he could not do so. 

Mr. Abrego was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers back in March and became one of hundreds of migrants to be deported to El Salvador’s terrorist confinement center known as CECOT. A lawyer for the Justice Department has admitted that the deportation was a mistake, though that attorney has now been placed on leave.

“The courts of the United States have said there’s no evidence to support that he’s part of MS-13. So, I asked the vice president whether or not El Salvador has any evidence that he’s part of MS-13 or has committed a crime,” Mr. Van Hollen said, asserting that Mr. Ulloa told him that they did not have anything that would tie Mr. Abrego to the gang. 

“I asked the vice president if I could meet with Mr. Abrego Garcia and he said, ‘Well, you need to make earlier provisions to go visit CECOT,’” Mr. Van Hollen told reporters. “I said, ‘I’m not interested at this moment in taking a tour of CECOT, I just want to meet with Mr. Abrego Garcia.’ He said he was not able to make that happen.”

Mr. Van Hollen then said that Mr. Ulloa declared they were holding on to Mr. Abrego because the United States was paying El Salvador to keep deportees in CECOT. 

The United States Supreme Court has ruled that the federal government must “facilitate” the return of Mr. Abrego to Maryland, though the administration says they will not do so. Attorney General Bondi said on Monday that they would let the deportee board a plane to the United States from El Salvador if he so chooses, but that decision is still up to President Bukele. 

Mr. Bukele has said he will not release or “smuggle” Mr. Abrego back to the United States, likely setting up another Supreme Court battle in the coming weeks. 

In response to Mr. Van Hollen’s visit to El Salvador, the White House announced on Wednesday afternoon that they would have a “special guest” at a previously unscheduled briefing. That guest ended up being Patty Morin — a Maryland woman whose daughter Rachel Morin had been raped and murdered in 2023 by a migrant who entered Texas from Mexico illegally earlier that year. 

The killer, Victor Martinez Hernandez, was convicted by a jury on Monday after less than an hour of deliberations. Ms. Morin came to the press briefing room to talk about the details of her daughter’s murder, including the physical damage she had suffered before dying. As Ms. Morin spoke for nearly ten minutes, members of the press corps were silent. 

At the end of Ms. Morin’s tearful recounting of her daughter’s murder to reporters, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt asked if any members of the press had questions to ask of either herself or her guest. The only two reporters to raise their hands in the briefing room were from the Daily Wire and LindellTV. Ms. Leavitt declined to call on either of them and left the podium. 

Several members of the White House press corps then expressed condolences for Ms. Morin and thanked her for sharing her story as she was walking out of the room. She turned to say that reporters ought to tell her daughter’s story. 

“Please tell the truth. Tell the truth. Tell how violent it really is. This is about protecting our children,” Ms. Morin said.