Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen recently met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, a meeting that has sparked unexpected attention on social media. Van Hollen plans to pass “along the message of love” to Abrego Garcia’s wife, according to his statement on social media.

However, the focus quickly shifted to Abrego Garcia’s knuckle tattoos, which users on X, were quick to notice. Benny Johnson commented, “That’s an interesting tattoo for just a regular ‘Maryland man’ to have on his hand.”

The tattoos appear noticeably faded or possibly covered with makeup compared to an older photo shared by his wife, Jenni, who is documenting her husband’s deportation journey on TikTok. Some users speculated that the tattoos might be an acronym for the notorious gang MS-13. One user suggested the symbols could stand for “M-arijuana S-mile 1-Cross 3-Skull with three dots.”

Critics on social media mocked the symbolic interpretation of the tattoos. One user sarcastically remarked, “A smiley face, a cannabis leaf and a Christian cross? OH NO! SEND THE POLICE!”

While it’s difficult to confirm if there are three dots near the skull, which could symbolize “mi vida loca” or “my crazy life,” the tattoos have fueled speculation about a possible gang affiliation. In El Salvador, many prisoners have prominent tattoos, but subtle gang symbols can also indicate MS-13 connections.

The debate continues as to whether these tattoos are a subtle brag about gang affiliation or simply being overanalyzed.