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The report, which remains classified, described work by Richard Grenell, a former top intelligence official in the Trump administration.
Sept. 9, 2025, 11:07 a.m. ET
Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, took the unusual step of ordering the National Security Agency to retract an intelligence report on Venezuela, according to people briefed on the matter.
The report, which remains classified, described work on Venezuela by Richard Grenell, a former top intelligence official in the Trump administration who is now leading the Kennedy Center.
The report focused on Mr. Grenell’s conversations and negotiations with Nicolás Maduro, the authoritarian leader of Venezuela, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The report and the recall were issued several months ago, at a time when Mr. Grenell was negotiating the return of undocumented immigrants to Venezuela, according to people briefed on the report.
President Trump had appointed Mr. Grenell as an envoy to Venezuela and asked him to lead negotiations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was working on a different track on Venezuelan negotiations.
The original report was circulated throughout the intelligence community. But more recently, the White House has ordered spy agencies to restrict the distribution list of people receiving intelligence on Venezuela.
