Tulsi Gabbard Fires Top Intel Officials Over Venezuela Memo Contradicting Trump

Tulsi Gabbard, the U.S. director of national intelligence under President Donald Trump, has fired two top officials of the National Intelligence Council (NIC), Mike Collins and Maria Langan-Riekhof, following the release of a memo that contradicted the administration’s claims about Venezuelan gang involvement and government coordination. The memo, which found no evidence that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's regime directs the Tren de Aragua gang's operations in the U.S., challenged Trump's justification for invoking the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged gang members. Gabbard's office stated that these firings aimed to end the politicization and weaponization of intelligence, though critics and lawmakers, including Congressman Jim Himes, viewed the dismissals as politically motivated and lacking transparency. The NIC officials were also reportedly investigated for leaking information, and the council was moved from the CIA to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for closer oversight. The controversy highlights tensions within the intelligence community over the administration's immigration enforcement narrative and the broader politicization of intelligence analysis. The majority of intelligence agencies supported the assessment, except the FBI, underscoring divisions within U.S. intelligence regarding the Maduro regime's involvement with criminal gangs.