The documents, marked sensitive and not intended for public disclosure, circulated widely across intelligence offices, law-enforcement agencies, and federal drug task forces throughout the year. Together, the documents show a wide gap between policy-level rhetoric and on-the-ground intelligence at the time. While senior administration officials spoke of “invasion,” “irregular warfare,” and “narco-terrorism,” field-level reporting consistently portrayed Tren de Aragua in the US as a fragmented, profit-driven criminal group, with no indication of centralized command, strategic coordination, or underlying political motive. The criminal activity described is largely opportunistic—if not mundane—ranging from smash-and-grab burglaries and ATM “jackpotting” to delivery-app fraud and low-level narcotics sales. “This is where the ‘knowledge gaps’ stem from.”The tasking order makes clear those uncertainties extended beyond TdA’s past activity to its potential response under pressure.