Declassified Intelligence Memo Contradicts Trump

Intelligence Assessment Contradicts Trump Administration Claims

A recent assessment by the U.S. intelligence community has concluded that there is no coordination between the Tren de Aragua gang and the Venezuelan government, Associated Press reported.
This finding directly contradicts statements made by Donald Trump administration officials, which were used to justify the invocation of the centuries-old Alien Enemies Act and the subsequent deportation of Venezuelan migrants, according to information provided by U.S. officials.
Here's a rundown of everything you need to know. 
MORE: Follow Wonderwall on MSN for more top news

Details of the Intelligence Findings

This classified assessment, produced by the National Intelligence Council and released this month, is described by two U.S. officials with knowledge of it as more comprehensive and authoritative than a previous intelligence report from February 26, which was reported on by The New York Times in April. 
These officials, who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, stated that the new assessment incorporated input from all 18 agencies within the intelligence community. 
The report repeatedly stated that Tren de Aragua, a gang that originated in a prison in Venezuela, is not coordinated with or supported by the country's president, Nicolas Maduro, or senior officials in the Venezuelan government. While the assessment did identify "minimal contact between some members of the gang and low-level members of the Venezuelan government," the overarching consensus was that "there was no coordination or directive role between gang and government." 
According to the officials, the assessment provided "support and extensive sourcing" for these conclusions. Notably, "of the 18 organizations that make up the U.S. government's intelligence community, only one — the FBI — did not agree with the findings." 
The officials pointed out that it is "not uncommon for intelligence agencies to differ in their assessments on matters of great public interest," emphasizing the "near unanimity" of this latest assessment as significant.

Trump Administration's Justification and Response

The intelligence assessment's conclusions come after the Supreme Court ruled last week that the second Donald Trump administration can use the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 wartime law, to deport Venezuelan migrants — but that the migrants must get court hearings before they're taken from the United States. 
In response to the intelligence findings, the White House shared a statement on Friday, May 2, from the office of the director of national intelligence, attributed to Tulsi Gabbard: "President Trump took necessary and historic action to safeguard our nation when he deported these violent Tren de Aragua terrorists. Now that America is safer without these terrorists in our cities, deep state actors have resorted to using their propaganda arm to attack the President's successful policies." 
President Donald Trump previously invoked the Alien Enemies Act in March, declaring in a proclamation that Tren de Aragua "is closely aligned with, and indeed has infiltrated, the Maduro regime, including its military and law enforcement apparatus." 
Similarly, Attorney General Pam Bondi stated in a Fox News Channel interview on Monday, May 5, defending the use of the wartime law and calling Tren de Aragua "a foreign arm of the Venezuelan government."
She further asserted, "They are organized. They have a command structure. And they have invaded our country."

Background on Tren de Aragua and the Alien Enemies Act

Tren de Aragua "has been linked to a series of kidnappings, extortion and other crimes throughout the Western Hemisphere," the report shared. These criminal activities are connected to a mass exodus of millions of Venezuelans as their country's economy unraveled over the past decade. 
The Alien Enemies Act was created to give the president wide powers to imprison and deport noncitizens in time of war. Until now, it has been used just three times, most recently eight decades ago during World War II to justify the detention of Japanese-American civilians. 
The American Civil Liberties Union, which has filed legal challenges to the Donald Trump administration's use of the law, argues that "Trump does not have the authority to use the Alien Enemies Act against a criminal gang rather than a recognized state."

Deportations and Legal Challenges

In April, the Trump administration reportedly used the Alien Enemies Act to fly more than 130 men accused of being members of the gang to El Salvador, where the U.S. has paid for the men to be held in a notorious prison. 
According to the reports, "The Venezuelans deported under the act received no opportunity to challenge the orders, and attorneys for many of the men have said there is no evidence they are gang members." 
Despite these concerns, Donald Trump's administration argued that the gang has become an invading force and designated it, along with seven other crime groups, as "foreign terrorist organizations."