‘Twisting and manipulating intelligence’: Trump admin fumes after spy memo contradicts Venezuela gang claims

A newly declassified U.S. intelligence report challenges a key claim made by the Trump administration to justify its use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans suspected of belonging to the Tren de Aragua gang. The report, made public on Monday, says that U.S. intelligence agencies do not believe the Venezuelan government, led by President Nicolás Maduro, directly controls or guides the gang’s actions in the U.S.

This directly contradicts statements made by the Trump administration when it used the deportation law. The report, described as a summary of the intelligence community’s view, concludes that while Venezuela’s weak oversight allows the Tren de Aragua (TdA) to function, the Maduro government “probably does not have a policy of working with TDA and is not directing TDA movement to and operations in the United States.”

This judgment is based on several factors, according to the NY Times and Politico, including Venezuelan law enforcement efforts that show the government sees TdA as a threat; a complicated mix of cooperation and conflict between the government and the gang; and TdA’s loose structure, which makes direct control difficult.

Declassified intelligence memo disputes Trump’s claims about Venezuela gang connections

In March, the Trump administration declared that all Venezuelan citizens aged 14 or older who are members of TdA, are in the U.S., and are not naturalized or legal permanent residents could be arrested, detained, and deported as “alien enemies” under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. This move came after accusations that TdA works with Cártel de los Soles, a Venezuelan drug trafficking and terrorism group.

The administration argued that TdA operates with the backing and guidance of the Maduro government. The report’s findings weaken this argument, pointing out differences between the administration’s reasons and intelligence assessments. The administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport around 250 Venezuelans to El Salvador quickly faced legal challenges and several court defeats.

Federal judges in New York and Texas, as well as the Supreme Court, issued rulings that stopped further deportations and required individual appeals for those labeled as “alien enemies.” Some of those deported were later found to have entered the U.S. legally, had no criminal record, or had no links to gang activity.

The Trump administration strongly opposed the release of the report, accusing the media of “twisting and manipulating intelligence assessments” to hurt its plans. The Justice Department started criminal investigations into the leaks that revealed the report’s contents, calling the reporting false and damaging.

While the report’s main conclusion is that the Maduro government does not directly control TdA, it notes a different opinion from FBI analysts. The FBI believes that “some Venezuelan government officials help TDA members move from Venezuela to the United States and use them as proxies…to support what they see as the Maduro government’s goal of causing instability and weakening public safety in these countries.”

However, the report states that “most” of the intelligence community finds the idea that Venezuelan leaders are directing or helping TdA migration to the U.S. to be unreliable. This shows a disagreement between the FBI’s view and agencies like the CIA and NSA.