Ms. Casique stated that her son had no ties to gangs and had arrived in the United States seeking asylum in late 2023, after spending several years working in Peru to support his family back home. She mentioned that he sustained injuries during his journey north, particularly from a fall off a train in Mexico.
According to Ms. Casique, Mr. García voluntarily surrendered to authorities at the U.S. border, but was detained during a standard check-in with immigration officers last year after they noticed his tattoos.
The tattoos, which she claims feature a crown along with the word “peace” in Spanish, as well as the names of his mother, grandmother, and sisters, prompted officials to investigate Mr. García and label him as a suspected member of Tren de Aragua, as per Ms. Casique’s account.
His mother revealed that Mr. García spent two months in a detention center in Dallas, but a judge ultimately ruled that he did not pose a threat and permitted his release under the condition that he wore an electronic tracking device.
The New York Times has been unable to independently confirm the reasons for his initial detention and subsequent release.
Following Mr. Trump’s inauguration earlier this year, Mr. García grew anxious, but Ms. Casique recalled reassuring her son that there was nothing to fear, as the administration indicated it would focus on apprehending criminals first.
However, on February 6, authorities came to Mr. García’s home and took him into custody.
“I advised him to comply with the country’s regulations, emphasizing that he was not a criminal and figured the worst they would do was deport him,” Ms. Casique reflected. “But I was quite naive — I believed the laws would provide him protection.”
Gabriel Labrador contributed reporting from San Salvador, El Salvador.
