Key Takeaways
- The US Navy admiral, Adm. Alvin Holsey, who is retiring early from command of the campaign to destroy vessels allegedly carrying drugs near Venezuela, spoke to key lawmakers about the mission.
- Congress is seeking more answers on President Donald Trump’s mission, which has struck 22 boats and killed at least 87 people since it started in September.
- Lawmakers are questioning the logic and legality of the campaign, which has added a new, deadly dynamic to the US military’s mission in the region.
- The Trump administration asserts that the drugs and drug-smugglers are posing a direct threat to American lives, but Democrats say that the logic underpinning it is deeply problematic.
- A group of senators is preparing to force a vote on legislation that would halt Trump’s ability to use military force against Venezuela directly without congressional approval.
Introduction to the Controversy
The US Navy admiral, Adm. Alvin Holsey, who is retiring early from command of the campaign to destroy vessels allegedly carrying drugs near Venezuela, spoke to key lawmakers on Tuesday about the mission. The classified video call between Holsey and the GOP chair and ranking Democrat of the Senate Armed Services Committee represented another determined step by lawmakers to demand an accounting from the Department of Defense on the threats against Venezuela and the strikes. The mission has sparked controversy and raised questions about the logic and legality of the campaign, which has added a new, deadly dynamic to the US military’s mission in the region.
Congressional Oversight
Congress is seeking more answers on President Donald Trump’s mission, which has struck 22 boats and killed at least 87 people since it started in September. The Sept. 2 strike, which legal experts say may have violated the laws governing how the US military uses deadly force, has awakened the Republican-controlled Congress to its oversight role after months of frustration at the trickle of information coming to Capitol Hill from the Pentagon. Sen. Roger Wicker, the Republican chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, declined to discuss the specifics of the call, but described Holsey as a "great public servant." Congress is also demanding that the Pentagon turn over unedited video of the strikes, as well as the orders authorizing the attacks, as part of its annual defense authorization bill.
The Campaign’s Purpose and Parameters
The Trump administration asserts that the drugs and drug-smugglers are posing a direct threat to American lives, and that the military is applying the same rules as the global war on terror to kill drug smugglers. However, Democrats say that the logic underpinning it is deeply problematic. "They are using expensive, exquisite American military capabilities to kill people who are the equivalent of corner dealers and not making progress interdicting the trafficking by the cartels," said Sen. Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat. Lawmakers are also questioning what intelligence the military is using to determine whether the boats’ cargo is headed for the US. As they have looked closer at the Sept. 2 strike, lawmakers learned that the destroyed boat was heading south at the time of the attack and that military intelligence showed it was headed toward another vessel that was bound for Suriname.
Legislative Efforts
A group of senators – three Democrats and one Republican – is preparing to force a vote on legislation as soon as next week that would halt Trump’s ability to use military force against Venezuela directly without congressional approval. Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat who is sponsoring the legislation, said that after reading the classified legal opinion from the Department of Justice that underpins boat strikes, he had "deep skepticism about the legality of any of these operations." The senators have already tried unsuccessfully to pass a similar resolution, but almost all Republicans voted against it. However, the senators say there is renewed interest from GOP lawmakers amid the Trump administration’s increasing threats against Venezuela, as well as scrutiny on the strike that killed survivors.
Conclusion and Next Steps
The controversy surrounding the US military’s campaign to destroy vessels allegedly carrying drugs near Venezuela continues to unfold. As lawmakers continue to seek more answers and demand accountability from the Department of Defense, the Trump administration’s mission remains under scrutiny. The legislative efforts to halt Trump’s ability to use military force against Venezuela without congressional approval are a significant development in this controversy. Ultimately, the outcome of these efforts will depend on the willingness of lawmakers to push back against the Trump administration’s campaign and to prioritize congressional oversight and accountability. As Sen. Rand Paul, the Kentucky Republican who is also sponsoring the legislation, said, "These follow-on strikes of people who are wounded in the ocean is really against our code of military justice. They are illegal." The coming days and weeks will be crucial in determining the future of this campaign and the role of Congress in overseeing the US military’s actions in the region.