Former Trump administration acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell has accused the Biden administration of “weaponizing their power against conservatives in Guatemala.”
Grenell — who also served as the U.S. Ambassador to Germany from 2018 to 2020 under former president and current GOP primary frontrunner Donald Trump — made the comments after visiting Guatemala, where he reportedly heard horrific stories from citizens about intimidation tactics from President Joe Biden’s State Department.
“I’ve spent the last few days in Guatemala listening to some horrific stories of State Department officials trying to intimidate Guatemalans from criticizing Left wing policies.
The Embassy has summoned business and political leaders to their offices to ask them to stop supporting the Attorney General, her work and conservative policies. They even demanded that people not support her re-election a few years ago. They are demanding people support Left wing policies or else,” he revealed in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Grenell then asserted that the Biden administration has even weaponized “visas, investigations and financial sanctions” in response to Guatemala daring to support conservative leaders who criticize far-left policies.
“This is an outrageous weaponization of visas, investigations and financial sanctions. Embassy officials have even threatened Magnitsky sanctions on some who continue to support the Attorney General of Guatemala. What the Biden team is doing to conservatives in America is exactly what they are doing overseas – thru the State Department’s INL and WHA leadership. It’s unAmerican and just may be illegal. I’ve called for the State Department IG to launch an investigation as quickly as possible. I know several U.S. Senators agree,” he added.
I’ve spent the last few days in Guatemala listening to some horrific stories of State Department officials trying to intimidate Guatemalans from criticizing Left wing policies.
The Embassy has summoned business and political leaders to their offices to ask them to stop…
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) January 13, 2024
These allegations were further confirmed after Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) posted about U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) targeting the son of the former conservative president of Guatemala — noting in his replies that Guatemala has tried to help the U.S. with the illegal immigration crisis and pointing out that CBP has been lenient on illegal immigration but decided to target a conservative politician’s son.
“Why is @CBP holding Alejandro Giammatei for questioning at the airport in Miami? Could it have anything to do with this administration’s chronic disdain for his father, the conservative former president of Guatemala, who completed his term of office today?” Lee wrote.
Why is @CBP holding Alejandro Giammatei for questioning at the airport in Miami? Could it have anything to do with this administration’s chronic disdain for his father, the conservative former president of Guatemala, who completed his term of office today?
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 15, 2024
Grenell responded to Lee’s post, declaring that the “Biden team is weaponizing their power against conservatives in Guatemala.”
The Biden team is weaponizing their power against conservatives in Guatemala.
They are ruining America’s brand when they do this. https://t.co/NV3PX4JSEw
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) January 15, 2024
It was later revealed that the Biden administration deported Giammattei even though he had a valid visa and had traveled to the U.S. with no issue several times in recent years.
Lee remarked on the incident in a post on X, writing: “They let in 300,000 illegals last month alone. Unlike all of them, Alejandro Giammatei had a visa. So why deport him but not them?”
They let in 300,000 illegals last month alone.
Unlike all of them, Alejandro Giammatei had a visa.
So why deport him but not them?
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 15, 2024
In Lee’s post, he also cited additional evidence of the Biden administration’s intimidation tactics in Guatemala, pointing to a video of former chancellor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and current Guatemalan Congresswoman-elect Sandra Jovel telling reporters about alleged threats made against conservatives by the current U.S. ambassador to Guatemala.
“This is messed freaking up. If this can be substantiated, heads need to roll. Immediately,” Lee wrote, sharing the post.
This is messed freaking up.
If this can be substantiated, heads need to roll.
Immediately. https://t.co/XmCc2YNeNG
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 15, 2024
“Current and elected members of the Guatemalan Congress have reported that they have been intimidated and are currently being preassured [sic] by US Embassy personnel with visa removals, business blockades and other sanctions if they do not vote to elect a specific candidate as Speaker of the House. They have gone as far as using an employee of UN-Women to communicate that the US knows where they and their families live,” Jovel explained in a post on her X account.
Current and elected members of the Guatemalan Congress have reported that they have been intimidated and are currently being preassured by US Embassy personnel with visa removals, business blockades and other sanctions if they do not vote to elect a specific candidate as Speaker…
— Sandra Jovel (@Sandra_JovelP) January 14, 2024
