Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told Newsmax on Friday there is no mistaking that the Maryland man errantly deported to an El Salvador prison is an MS-13 gang member and a "very dangerous individual," saying the mistake was about where he should go.
A federal judge earlier Friday ordered the Trump administration to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to the United States after an "administrative error" landed him at the CECOT prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador.
Noem told "The Record With Greta Van Susteren" that Garcia is "definitely a gang member" and a "very dangerous individual."
"You know, there was an administrative decision that was made that was inaccurate at the time, based on a judge's order, for where this individual could go," Noem said. "But he was a gang member, violent criminal, definitely a member of one of these terrorist organizations and did not belong in this country and needed to face consequences.
"So it wasn't a question on his history and if he was dangerous and he shouldn't be in the United States; it was where should he go?" she added.
To that end, Noem was asked how the Department of Homeland Security makes certain that the individuals they send to CECOT are terrorists.
"We have intelligence capabilities within the Department of Homeland Security and partnered with many other federal and local agencies to make sure that these individuals that went to this facility were terrorists. They were members of MS-13 and of TdA, and that they are in the 18th Street gang as other individuals they showed us that were there," Noem said.
Noem recently visited El Salvador and toured CECOT, saying the "security is amazing."
"It was interesting. They took the time to as well to show me on each of these individuals how they were marked, their tattoos, how you identify a gang member, how they show how many people they have killed and different markings for what they have done that they're proud of to be initiated into these organizations, and then really what their history has been like," Noem said.
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Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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