The government of Costa Rica is willing to accept Kilmar Abrego Garcia “upon the conclusion of any criminal sentence he may serve in the U.S.,” according to a letter obtained by ABC News.
The Salvadoran native was released from criminal custody in Tennessee on Friday and is on his way to Maryland, an attorney told ABC News.
In the letter sent Thursday to the U.S. Embassy of Costa Rica, an official said the country “intends to provide refugee status or residency to Mr. Abrego Garcia upon his transfer to Costa Rica.”
“The Government of Costa Rica presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of American in San José, and wishes to express its willingness to accept the transfer from the United States to Costa Rica of Mr. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia upon the conclusion of any criminal sentence he may serve in the United States of America,” said Mario Zamora Cordero, the minister of governance, police and public security for Costa Rica.
Zamora Cordero went on to say in the letter that the government of Costa Rica assured the U.S. government that it will not remove Abrego Garcia to a third country, including El Salvador.
“Consistent with this intention, the Government of Costa Rica assures the Government of the United States of America that it intends that Mr. Abrego Garcia will not be subjected to either torture or persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion,” the letter states.
Abrego Garcia has not been convicted on any charges and trial in his human smuggling case is set to begin on Jan. 27, 2027.
Officials with the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica did not respond to a request for comment from ABC News.
The State Department did not respond to a request for comment.
