CIA Chief Denies US-Venezuela War Claims—But Is That the Full Story?

CIA Director John Ratcliffe said on Wednesday that his agency has “no current assessment” of the United States being at war with Venezuela. This was after President Donald Trump invoked a law that allows the president to deport gangs during wartime.

The White House invoked a section of the Alien and Sedition Act that was passed in 1798, which grants additional authority to the federal government over noncitizens residing in the U.S. in times of war. This act allowed the deportation of a group of Venezuelans whom immigration officials claimed were members of the Tren de Aragua gang.

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) asked Ratcliffe, during an appearance on Wednesday before the House Intelligence Committee, about the use of the law to justify the deportation.

Castro stated, “To invoke this law, a president must show that the United States are under invasion by an alien nation or government. They’ve alleged we are being invaded by the Venezuelan government. Most Americans would be surprised to learn that we’re at war with Venezuela. You would think that our nation’s war status would warrant at least a mention in the threat assessment. Does the intelligence community believe that we are at war with Venezuela or under its control?

Ratcliffe replied, “We don’t have any assessment which says that.”