Wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia sought protection order in 2020
Audio depicts Jennifer Vasquez Sura, wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, pleading with a judge for temporary protection from her husband in 2020.
The Maryland wife of the wrongfully deported Salvadoran immigrant briefly faced a custody challenge over the children she shared with another man.
Court documents show Edwin Ramos filed a custody petition in 2018 against Jennifer Vasquez Sura. The pair had children born in 2014 and 2015 that were then raised by Vasquez Sura and Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who is at the center of the immigration debate that has reached the Supreme Court.
In the court motion, Ramos wrote: “I’m afraid of my kids live (sic) are in danger because she is dating a gang member.”
Abrego Garcia was detained in 2019 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and alleged to be a member of the MS-13 gang. He has vehemently denied the affiliation.
A judge dismissed Ramos’ petition in February 2019, a month before Abrego Garcia was detained.
In November 2019, Ramos was charged with second degree rape, according to court records.
He was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison, of which 10 were suspended. He remains incarcerated in Maryland, according to state records.
Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, contributed to this report.