U.S. intelligence agencies have released a memo, challenging the Trump administration's rationale for using the Alien Enemies Act to rapidly deport Venezuelan men to a notorious prison in El Salvador, according to The New York Times.

The memo, released on Monday, reveals that the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro does not oversee the activities of the criminal gang, known as Tren de Aragua.

This finding contradicts President Trump’s allegation that the U.S. is facing an invasion from a hostile foreign country, a justification for expedited deportations without judicial assessment.

The memo of the National Intelligence Council indicates that while the gang takes advantage of the chaos in Venezuela, it lacks direct connections to the Maduro government.

The memo also challenges Trump’s depiction of Tren de Aragua as a major national security threat, saying that the gang has a decentralized nature and focuses on amateur criminal activities.

Since March 2025, the Trump administration has reinstated the Alien Enemies Act to deport around 250 Venezuelan men, including some with legal status or no criminal history.

The Supreme Court later challenged this decision, ruling that individuals labeled as “alien enemies” must be allowed to contest their deportations.

A Trump-appointed judge has recently ruled that the administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act for rapid deportations was illegal, saying it should only apply during armed, organized attacks.

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