U.S. Intelligence Official Pressured Analysts to Alter Reports Protecting Trump Claims

Internal emails reveal that Joe Kent, chief of staff to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, pressured intelligence analysts to revise a February 2024 assessment that found no credible evidence linking Venezuela's government to the Tren de Aragua gang, contradicting President Trump's public claims used to justify mass deportations under the Alien Enemies Act. Kent urged analysts to produce a version more aligned with the administration's narrative, suggesting a hostile Venezuelan role despite the original report's findings. Although a revised memo was completed in April 2024, it still refuted Trump's core assertion that Venezuela directly controlled the gang, acknowledging only unofficial support in some cases. The interference has raised concerns about politicization of intelligence under the Trump administration, leading to the dismissal of key intelligence officials and intensifying scrutiny. Kent and his defenders argue that the revisions aimed to provide fuller context rather than exert political pressure. The saga underscores tensions between intelligence integrity and political agendas during the Trump era's immigration enforcement.