Abrego Garcia's wife begged judge for protection order, saying 'he slapped me': audio
In a recording of an August 2020 court hearing obtained by USA Today, Sura describes the abuse she allegedly suffered at the hands of Abrego Garcia. Sura recalled multiple instances of alleged abuse, claiming that Abrego Garcia pushed her, grabbed her by the hair and slapped her.
"On Wednesday, he hit me, like around like, three in the morning, he would just wake up and like, hit me," Sura told the court.
At one point, Sura said she was trying to escape Abrego Garcia when she saw a neighbor walking their dog and screamed "help." Sura said Abrego Garcia then "grabbed me from my hair, and then he slapped me."
The neighbor was allegedly stunned and "didn't know what to do."
Additionally, Sura alleges in the recording that she tried to get an order in December, presumably in 2019, but that Abrego Garcia's family convinced her not to go through with it because his father was sick.
The filing, which was obtained by Fox News Digital, shows that Sura said she was "afraid of being too close to him. I have multiple photos/videos of how violent he can be and all the bruises he [has] left me." The allegations were written in Sura's handwriting.
Abrego Garcia was made a central figure in the debate surrounding the handling of illegal immigration and was repeatedly described as a "Maryland man." However, the Salvadoran national was living in the U.S. illegally and is suspected of being a member of the notoriously violent gang MS-13.
In addition to the allegations of abuse and gang membership, Abrego Garcia is also suspected of participating in human trafficking. Bodycam footage shows Abrego Garcia interacting with the Tennessee Highway Patrol during a traffic stop that led to the trafficking allegations. According to a 2022 Homeland Security Investigations report, the trooper saw eight individuals in the vehicle, and Abrego Garcia said he had been driving for three days from Texas to Maryland via Missouri to bring them to work in construction.
Last month, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., traveled to El Salvador to meet with Abrego Garcia, a move that was criticized by both Republicans and Democrats, particularly after allegations against Abrego Garcia came to light.
Patty Morin, the mother of murdered Maryland woman Rachel Morin, criticized Van Hollen for making the trip. Morin also claimed that she has had "no interaction" with Van Hollen since Rachel's murder. Illegal immigrant and Salvadoran national Victor Martinez-Hernandez was recently found guilty of raping and murdering Rachel in August 2023.
While the Trump administration has pointed to considerable evidence showing Abrego Garcia's gang affiliation, the Supreme Court in April upheld a lower court's decision ordering the administration to arrange for Abrego Garcia's return.
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