The US intelligence community believes that the Venezuelan government is “probably” not directing the gang Tren de Aragua’s movements and operations inside the United States, according to a declassified assessment released on Monday that undercuts the Trump administration’s key argument for invoking the Alien Enemies Act to speed up deportations.

A recently declassified intelligence memo suggests that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is likely not explicitly directing the activities of the criminal gang Tren de Aragua in the United States.

WASHINGTON – A newly declassified memo released Monday confirms that U.S. intelligence agencies rejected a key claim President Donald Trump put forth to justify invoking a wartime statute to summarily deport Venezuelans to a prison in El Salvador.