A small team of Venezuelans and former U.S. officials with deep connections to police and intelligence in the South American country has been providing information to the Trump administration about the number and identities of members of Tren de Aragua and other Venezuelan gangs headed to or already in the United States.

CARACAS (Reuters) -A diplomatic spat between the United States and Venezuela flared on Thursday as the U.S. government denied Venezuela's claims of repatriation flights from Mexico, while Venezuela accused Washington of blocking them.