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3mo ago

Leaked Emails Reveal Pressure to Alter Intelligence on Venezuelan Gang

Joe Kent, top aide to DNI Tulsi Gabbard, urged changes to align assessments with Trump administration deportation policies, sparking concerns over politicization.

U.S. military personnel escort an alleged gang member who was deported by the U.S. along with others the U.S. alleges are members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and the MS-13 gang to be imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) prison, at the El Salvador International Airport in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador April 12, 2025. Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
President Donald Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard at the White House on Feb. 12, 2025.
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Overview

  • Leaked emails published on May 20 confirm Joe Kent, acting chief of staff to DNI Tulsi Gabbard, pushed for revisions to intelligence assessments on the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
  • The National Intelligence Council's February and April assessments found no evidence of Venezuelan government control over the gang's U.S. operations, contradicting the administration's claims.
  • President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act in March to expedite deportations of alleged gang members, citing disputed links between the gang and Venezuela.
  • The removal of NIC leaders Michael Collins and Maria Langan-Riekhof followed their refusal to alter the original findings, raising concerns about the independence of intelligence agencies.
  • ODNI has denied fabricating timelines and defended Kent as a patriot, while critics argue the administration's actions undermine analytical integrity and legal justifications for deportations.