In court documents, Abrego García recounts that he suffered severe beatings, sleep deprivation, and malnutrition, among other forms of torture at the hands of his jailers at the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (Cecot).

However, Bukele rejected the version, even saying that Kilmar Abrego gained weight while in the custody of his government, “the man was not tortured, nor did he lose weight. In fact, the photos show that he gained weight during his detention. There are many images from different days, including his meeting with Senator Van Hollen, who confirmed that the man seemed to be fine.”

“Apparently, anything a criminal claims is accepted as truth by the mainstream media and the crumbling Western judicial system,” Bukele continued.

To support his version, Bukele said he has images from inside a cell that were allegedly recorded between April 16 and May 30, 2025, in addition to alleged medical evaluations, of the inmate's participation in the "Zero Ocio" program, in which prisoners carry out various activities, and of his return to the United States.

Despite this, the migrant stated that he was kicked and beaten so frequently after his arrival at the prison that the next day he had bruises and lumps visible all over his body.

Like Abrego, organizations such as Human Rights Watch have denounced that inhumane treatment has occurred in most prisons in El Salvador, including Cecot.

According to HRW, there are testimonies from men deported from the United States who claimed to have been beaten by police or soldiers during their arrest, and subsequently beaten during their detention, which lasted between three days and more than a year.

“During their incarceration, two of these individuals reported being kicked in the face and testicles. A third man described being kicked in the neck and abdomen by guards, after which he suffered injuries that required surgery for a ruptured pancreas and spleen, a one-month hospitalization, and 60 days of treatment after his release,” the organization notes.