Lawmakers from both the Democratic and Republican parties have called for congressional reviews of recent U.S. military strikes targeting vessels suspected of drug smuggling in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. This bipartisan request follows a report from the *Washington Post* outlining a verbal order allegedly issued by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a September 2 attack, which purportedly instructed crew members to be killed.
While some lawmakers expressed skepticism about the validity of the report, concerns regarding the legality of targeting survivors of an initial missile strike have prompted serious discussions. Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) stated, “This rises to the level of a war crime if it’s true.” Representative Mike Turner (R-Ohio) indicated that Congress does not have complete information on the follow-up strike and emphasized the need for investigations by the Armed Services Committee in both the House and Senate.
Turner acknowledged the gravity of the situation, stating, “Obviously, if that occurred, that would be very serious and I agree that that would be an illegal act.” He pointed out that while there are ongoing concerns regarding operations against vessels identified by the Trump administration as drug transporters, the allegations concerning the September 2 attack have not been adequately discussed with Congress.
This development occurs amid an intensified campaign by the Trump administration to combat drug trafficking into the United States. On Saturday, President Donald Trump declared that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be regarded as “closed in its entirety,” a statement that raised further questions about U.S. pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Maduro’s government responded, accusing Trump of making a “colonial threat” and attempting to undermine the country’s sovereignty.
In response to the *Washington Post* report, Hegseth defended the military operations, asserting on social media platform X that the “fake news” narrative seeks to discredit U.S. military efforts. He maintained that current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, stating that all actions comply with the law of armed conflict and have been approved by military and civilian legal experts.
The Senate Armed Services Committee, led by Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi and top Democrat Jack Reed of Rhode Island, issued a joint statement confirming that they will conduct a thorough oversight investigation related to these military actions. Following suit, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Republican Representative Mike Rogers of Alabama, and ranking Democratic member Adam Smith from Washington, pledged commitment to rigorous oversight of the Department of Defense’s operations in the Caribbean.
They remarked, “We take seriously the reports of follow-on strikes on boats alleged to be ferrying narcotics in the SOUTHCOM region and are taking bipartisan action to gather a full accounting of the operation in question.”
Representative Don Bacon (R-Neb.) also weighed in on the September 2 incident, suggesting that Hegseth should be given the opportunity to present his side. He expressed skepticism about the claims, stating, “I don’t think he would be foolish enough to make this decision to say, kill everybody, kill the survivors because that’s a clear violation of the law of war.”
Lawmakers made these statements during appearances on various news shows, with Kaine and Turner featured on CBS’s “Face the Nation” while Bacon appeared on ABC’s “This Week.” As investigations continue, the focus remains on the implications of military actions and their alignment with both domestic and international law.
