Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard recently ordered the National Security Agency to retract a classified report on Venezuela. The report focused on Venezuela and Trump special envoy Richard Grenell, including details of his communications with Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, as well as information about Grenell collected by the NSA.
After the report’s initial release, an unclassified addendum was issued in April instructing staff to “recall this report” under Gabbard’s direction. The addendum ordered the removal of the original report from all manual and digital files, noting the report itself was accurate and compliant with NSA policies. A senior intelligence official noted that the White House had recently limited the distribution of Venezuela intelligence reporting.
One U.S. official described the action as “highly unusual,” noting that senior intelligence officials generally defer to the agency when recalling reports involving masked U.S. persons. Gabbard, as DNI, is one of the few policymakers with access to unredacted versions of these reports.
Shortly after Trump assumed office, Grenell traveled to Caracas and met with Maduro, a surprise visit that fueled speculation the administration might soften its “maximum pressure” campaign. Grenell returned to the U.S. with six Americans deemed illegally detained, which the White House hailed as a diplomatic success.
The visit, however, highlighted tensions between Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who opposes concessions to Maduro, and Grenell, who pursued negotiations with the Venezuelan leader.
