Donald Trump is back in Washington today. He is personally facing growing controversy over US military strikes against drug smuggling boats off the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia. Weekend reports have raised new questions about the legality of these targeted strikes. That concern grew after allegations surfaced that a further strike was issued after the first attack. These radical developments have sparked a firestorm of debate between legislators and troops over the ramifications of regularly deploying military assets in this way.
The buildup of anxiety about the whole ordeal became palpable. Pete Hegseth, who styles himself as the “secretary for war” on X, called the reports of a second strike “fake news.” Trump expressed his support for Hegseth, stating, “I believe him 100%,” and added, “I’m going to find out about it, but Pete said he did not order the death of those two men.”
One of the most outspoken opponents of the strikes has been Democrat Senator Tim Kaine. He declares that if the reports are confirmed, it would be a war crime. He stated, “This rises to the level of a war crime if it’s true.” At the same time, GOP lawmakers have joined in the same chorus, with some urging a robust congressional investigation into the military action. Senator Mark Kelly added that there needs to be accountability: “We’re going to have a … public hearing. We’re going to bring these people in and put them on oath. And we’re going to discover what went wrong.
Venezuelan officials have responded vigorously to the strikes, with Jorge Rodriguez, a representative from Venezuela’s National Assembly, accusing the US of committing “murder.” He remarked, “There’s no declared war [between the US and Venezuela]; therefore this cannot be classified as anything but murder.” Rodriguez highlighted the implications of due process, stating, “Every human being has the right to due process; no human being can be killed in a brutal manner.”
Under US Defense Department reporting, more than 80 people have died in these strikes. After the first strike on the suspected drug-smuggling boat, a Special Operations commander directed a second strike. The intention was to kill everyone on the flight. This drastic expansion of the program has attracted bipartisan outrage.
The US military has recently expanded its naval presence in the Caribbean region, claiming to target vessels accused of drug trafficking. The Pentagon’s actions have led Republican-led committees to vow “vigorous oversight” into the details of these strikes. A Republican lawmaker commented on the seriousness of the allegations, stating, “If what has been reported is accurate, I have got serious concerns about anybody in that chain of command stepping over a line that they should never step over.”
More broadly, in making these remarks, Trump is trying to distance himself from any possible wrongdoing tied to these military actions. He stated, “We’ll look into it, but no, I wouldn’t have wanted that – not a second strike. The first strike was very lethal.” His remarks imply a hope to continue playing a long game and feeling his way through an evolving political situation.