Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence in the Trump administration, was excluded from key planning discussions for Operation Absolute Resolve, the high-profile U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in early January 2026.
The operation, which involved missile strikes on Caracas followed by a Delta Force raid on a military complex, led to the apprehension of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They were subsequently transported to New York to face federal charges related to narcoterrorism and drug trafficking. President Trump announced the success of the mission on January 3, 2026, from Mar-a-Lago, Florida, where he monitored events alongside key advisers including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
Exclusion from Planning Discussions
As the administration’s national-security team finalized preparations for the mission last week, Gabbard was in Hawaii, posting social-media photos of herself on a beach—her childhood home—and practicing yoga to mark the New Year. She wrote on X that her “heart is filled with gratitude, aloha and peace.” Administration officials confirmed she was unaware of the operation’s details at the time.
A senior administration official stated that Trump was not particularly close with Gabbard and deliberately limited the number of people informed about the Venezuela mission. “She didn’t need to know about it,” the official said. According to two people familiar with the situation, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was among those who preferred Gabbard remain sidelined from the discussions.
The exclusion stems from planning that began last year, as Trump grew impatient with Maduro. White House officials developed military options underpinned by intelligence assessments of Venezuela’s military and political situation, communications intercepts, human intelligence, and the insertion of CIA personnel around Caracas in August.
A second administration official noted that Gabbard’s office provided “intelligence analysis that assisted in the overall mission from the analytical side.” However, she was not involved in the operational planning or decision-making circles.
White House aides even joked that her Director of National Intelligence title, or DNI, stood for “do not invite.”
Broader Context of Gabbard’s Tenure
This episode underscores Gabbard’s turbulent role as Director of National Intelligence, marked by periods of favor and isolation within the president’s inner circle. Trump has increasingly relied on CIA Director John Ratcliffe for key intelligence consultations.
Gabbard has a history of opposing foreign interventions. In 2019, she posted on X: “The United States needs to stay out of Venezuela. Let the Venezuelan people determine their future. We don’t want other countries to choose our leaders—so we have to stop trying to choose theirs.”
A second administration official described it as “unfair” to focus on her prior views, noting that other Trump officials have previously expressed policy disagreements or criticism of the president. The official added that Gabbard leads routine intelligence briefings for the president and is often at the White House each week.
Official Responses and Denials
White House communications director Steven Cheung stated: “President Trump has full confidence in his entire exceptional national-security team.”
Vice President JD Vance, during a Thursday White House briefing, denied claims of Gabbard’s exclusion, saying: “That’s completely false. We kept it very tight to the senior cabinet-level officials and related officials in our government.”
A State Department spokesman, Tommy Pigott, said: “Gabbard, Rubio and President Trump’s entire team have worked together in lockstep to deliver on his agenda. This is a tired and false narrative attempting to promote a fake story of ‘division’ when there is none.”
Gabbard’s Response to the Operation
Gabbard initially remained silent on the mission. Three days later, on Tuesday, she posted on X: “President Trump promised the American people he would secure our borders, confront narcoterrorism, dangerous drug cartels, and drug traffickers. Kudos to our servicemen and women and intelligence operators for their flawless execution of President Trump’s order to deliver on his promise thru Operation Absolute Resolve.”
The operation highlighted the administration’s focus on countering perceived threats from Venezuela, including narcoterrorism, while illustrating the selective nature of access to sensitive planning within the national-security apparatus.
