U.S. intelligence agencies contradict Trump's Tren de Aragua claims [View all]
Source: NBC News
May 6, 2025, 2:14 PM EDT / Updated May 6, 2025, 5:44 PM EDT
A declassified memo drafted by U.S. intelligence agencies contradicts President Donald Trump's claims that Venezuela's government controls the Tren de Aragua gang, an argument he has used to deport immigrants to an El Salvador prison.
The National Intelligence Council memo states that the Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro allows criminal gangs to operate in its territory but that it is not orchestrating Tren de Aragua’s operations in the United States.
“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,” according to the April 7 memo.
The National Intelligence Director's Office released the memo in response to a Freedom of Information Act request by the Freedom of the Press Foundation, a nonprofit organization. The foundation provided a copy to NBC News. Titled "Venezuela: Examining regime ties to Tren de Aragua," the declassified version of the five-page memo included some blacked out-words and passages. The New York Times first reported on the memo Monday.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/us-intelligence-agencies-contradict-trumps-tren-de-aragua-claims-rcna205107
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