During a confirmation hearing for DEA nominee Terrance Cole, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., zeroed in on alleged gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Graham produced a photo of Garcia’s tattoos and asked Cole to decode them, comparing it to solving a Rebus puzzle. The exchange quickly turned into a deep dive into MS-13 gang identification.
"Are you familiar with MS-13? Briefly, what are they?" Graham asked. "They’re a terrorist organization," Cole replied. He listed their crimes: "extortion, kidnapping, drugs, intimidation, money laundering."
Graham pressed Cole further, questioning how gang members like Garcia are identified without “membership cards.” "Not necessarily the membership cards, but they are well recognized based on tattoos and different [things]," Cole said.
Graham showed the tattoo photo and asked for a breakdown. "What does that photo or those markings suggest to you?" he asked. Cole replied, "They suggest that he's an MS-13 member — that those are his markings. That's his brand."
Cole then interpreted each tattoo. The leaf on the first knuckle? Marijuana — representing "M." The second? A smiley face, starting with "S." Then came the number "1" and what looked like a backwards 3. Cole explained these were common MS-13 symbols.
"So based on your time as a DEA agent in the field, particularly in Mexico, these tattoos are consistent with MS-13 associations?" Graham asked. "Yes sir, that's correct," Cole confirmed.
To rule out misinterpretation, Graham asked if any other group might use that combination of symbols. Cole said no. His response reinforced concerns about Garcia’s gang affiliations.
Meanwhile, Democrats faced heat for recent meetings with Garcia. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., was asked about it by The Bulwark. Democratic aides later claimed Jeffries discouraged any further visits to El Salvador.
The issue flared again during a tense ABC News interview with President Donald Trump. When Terry Moran suggested the tattoos may have been misinterpreted, Trump pushed back. "Wait a minute, he had ‘MS-13’ on his knuckles," Trump said.