At a Glance
- Hundreds of internal US documents reveal agencies could not confirm Tren de Aragua operates as an organized entity in America
- Field reports describe scattered, profit-driven crimes, not centrally directed terrorism
- Why it matters: Public claims of an “invasion” by a Maduro-linked terror network appear unsupported by the government’s own intelligence
While senior Trump officials label Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua a centrally directed terrorist force, sensitive documents obtained by News Of Fort Worth show federal agencies spent 2025 struggling to verify the gang even functions as a coherent group inside the United States.
Intelligence Gaps Flagged Nationwide
Internal tasking directives, bulletins, and drug-task-force assessments repeatedly cite “intelligence gaps” on basic questions:
- Does TdA have identifiable leadership in the US?
- Is its domestic activity coordinated beyond local crews?
- Do incidents point to foreign direction or autonomous, profit-driven criminals?
The documents-marked sensitive and circulated across intelligence offices, federal drug task forces, and law-enforcement agencies-warn that key estimates, such as member counts, were “often inferred or extrapolated” due to a lack of corroborated facts.
Rhetoric vs. Field Reporting
Public statements painted a menacing picture:
- President Trump’s March 2025 proclamation invoked the Alien Enemies Act, claiming “thousands” of TdA members had “unlawfully infiltrated” and were “conducting irregular warfare.”
- Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News TdA is “a foreign arm of the Venezuelan government” with a “command structure.”
Meanwhile, field-level reports described smash-and-grab burglaries, ATM jackpotting, delivery-app fraud, and low-level narcotics sales-activities officials portrayed as fragmented and opportunistic, lacking political motive or strategic coordination.
Border Patrol Assessment Undercuts Claims
An internal Border Patrol assessment obtained by News Of Fort Worth shows officials could not substantiate claims of mass infiltration, relying instead on interview-based estimates rather than confirmed detections of gang members entering the country.
National Counterterrorism Center Doubts
Even after the State Department designated TdA a foreign terrorist organization in February 2025, internal correspondence shows senior counterterrorism officials-including those at the National Counterterrorism Center-remained uncertain about the group’s structure and threat level.
Unresolved questions prompted intelligence managers to issue a nationwide tasking order on May 2, 2025, directing analysts to address “knowledge gaps” such as:
- Whether TdA accesses weapons beyond small arms
- Whether it relies on bulk-cash, cryptocurrencies, or mobile-payment apps
- Whether corrupt officials or state-linked facilitators overseas provide support
A spokesperson for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard attributed the shortfall to competing priorities, telling News Of Fort Worth, “The Intelligence Community was unable to devote collection resources towards TdA prior to the Trump administration giving it the ‘terrorist’ label. This is where the ‘knowledge gaps’ stem from.”
Key Takeaways
- The gap between policy rhetoric and ground-level intelligence remains wide
- Agencies continue to lack basic data on TdA’s US footprint, financing, and weapons access
- Officials privately question whether the group will alter tactics under increased enforcement pressure
