16 May 2025

Gabbard Fires Two Intelligence Officers Whose Report Contradicted DJT About Tren de Aragua

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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard fired two experienced intelligence analysts for overseeing issuance of an analysis memorandum contradicting Donald Trump’s insistence that the gang Tren de Aragua is acting as an extension of the Venezuelan government to invade the USA.

Trump relies on his declaration that the gang is invading to justify his use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 for abrupt expulsion of Venezuelans into a foreign prison without due process.

The memorandum is highly critical of President Nicolás Maduro Moros, whose election victories the USA regards as illegitimate, but says “the Maduro regime probably does not have a policy of cooperating with [Tren de Aragua] and is not directing [Tren de Aragua] movement to and operations in the United States.” Low level authorities in Venezuela sometimes cooperate with the gang, but that is as far as it goes. “Venezuela’s permissive environment allows Tren de Aragua to operate,” the intelligence community’s assessment read. But it continued: “the [intelligence community] has not observed the regime directing [Tren de Aragua] to push migrants to the United States.”

The National Intelligence Council personnel fired were Mike Collins, the council’s acting chair, and topmost deputy Maria Langan-Riekhof.

Gabbard initially did not mention their association with the memorandum, saying that they were fired because they oppose Donald Trump. The connection between their oversight of the memorandum and their firing emerged later.

Congressional Representatitve Jim Himes (D-CT), the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, said “Absent evidence to justify the firings, the workforce can only conclude that their jobs are contingent on producing analysis that is aligned with the President’s political agenda, rather than truthful and apolitical.” This can distort the reliability of intelligence reports.

A dozen more intelligence officers are suspected of leaking information to the media. Gabbard reputedly made criminal referrals to the Department of Justice about three senior intelligence community officials. It is not clear who those officials are.

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