Declassified intelligence memo contradicts Trump's claims linking gang
to Venezuelan government
[May 07, 2025]
WASHINGTON (AP) — A newly declassified U.S. intelligence assessment
confirms that analysts at American spy agencies found no coordination
between Tren de Aragua and the Venezuelan government, contradicting
statements the Trump administration used to justify invoking the Alien
Enemies Act and deporting Venezuelan immigrants.
The redacted memo from the National Intelligence Council said there was
no indication that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro or other senior
government officials are directing the actions of Tren de Aragua, a gang
that originated in a prison in Venezuela. That is even as some mid- to
low-level Venezuelan officials may have ties to the gang for financial
gain, the document says.
“While Venezuela's permissive environment enables TDA to operate, the
Maduro regime probably does not have a policy of cooperating with TDA
and is not directing TDA movement to and operations in the United
States,” the memo reads. “Furthermore, most of the IC judges that
intelligence indicating that regime leaders are directing or enabling
TDA migration to the United States is not credible.”
Trump has invoked the Alien Enemies Act to speed the deportations of
people his administration has labeled members of the gang. The 18th
century wartime law was created to give the president the power to
imprison or deport noncitizens in a time of war. It has been used three
times, most recently when Japanese Americans were detained during World
War II.
Tren de Aragua has been linked to a series of kidnappings, extortion and
other crimes throughout the Western Hemisphere. Those activities are
tied to a mass exodus of millions of Venezuelans as their country’s
economy unraveled over the past decade.
The National Intelligence Council helps coordinate the work of the
nation's intelligence services, and its conclusions reflect the findings
of individual agencies.
While the assessment found no evidence of significant coordination
between Maduro and the gang, it noted that FBI analysts had reason to
believe some Venezuelan officials may have helped some gang members move
to the U.S. and other countries “to advance what they see as the Maduro
regime's goal of destabilizing governments and undermining public
safety,” according to the assessment.
A spokesperson for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard
rejected claims that the assessment contradicted the White House and
noted that it did find some ties between mid- and low-level officials in
Maduro's government and the gang.
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Gabbard wrote on social media last month that her office, which oversees
and coordinates the work of the nation's 18 intelligence agencies,
“fully supports the assessment that the foreign terrorist organization,
Tren De Aragua, is acting with the support of the Maduro Regime, and
thus subject to arrest, detention and removal as alien enemies of the
United States."
Gabbard's spokesperson, Alexa Henning, referenced the post Tuesday in
response to questions about the assessment.
The memo, which includes significant redactions, was released this week
after the Freedom of the Press Foundation filed an open records request,
and it was first reported by The New York Times. The Associated Press
reported on the assessment's findings last month.
Lauren Harper, who holds the Daniel Ellsberg Chair on Government Secrecy
at the foundation, said it is critical to push for government
transparency, especially as the Trump administration signals it may
subpoena reporters to investigate government leakers.
“The public deserves to read this document,” Harper said of the
assessment.
Two federal judges have found that Trump is improperly using the Alien
Enemies Act and barred the administration from removing immigrants under
it.
District Court Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein in New York said Tuesday that
the 1798 law cannot be used against Tren de Aragua because it is not
attacking the United States. “TdA may well be engaged in narcotics
trafficking, but that is a criminal matter, not an invasion or predatory
incursion,” Hellerstein wrote.
Democrats in Congress welcomed the assessment's release and questioned
why Gabbard has supported Trump's justification for deportations, given
her knowledge of the assessment.
In a statement, Reps. Jim Himes of Connecticut and Joaquin Castro of
Texas said Gabbard needs to explain why her public comments don't match
the assessment of her own agencies.
“The most basic responsibility of the director of national intelligence
is to speak truth to power and, where possible, the American people,”
said the lawmakers, who both serve on the House Intelligence Committee.
“Misrepresenting intelligence in public causes grave damage.”
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Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to
this report.By DAVID KLEPPER
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