WASHINGTON — Senior U.S. national security officials returned to Capitol Hill on Tuesday amid intensifying congressional investigations into deadly military operations in international waters near Venezuela. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio faced lawmakers demanding explanations for a series of controversial strikes that have resulted in numerous casualties.
The congressional scrutiny follows a September 2nd incident where U.S. forces killed two survivors of an initial attack on a vessel allegedly transporting cocaine in the Caribbean. Just hours before the scheduled briefings, the military announced additional strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean that eliminated eight individuals on three boats suspected of drug smuggling.
This military escalation occurs alongside a substantial buildup of U.S. naval assets in the region, including the deployment of thousands of troops and the nation’s largest aircraft carrier. The administration has simultaneously conducted fighter jet flights near Venezuelan airspace and seized an oil tanker as part of its campaign against President Nicolás Maduro’s government.
Notably, the Trump administration has operated without seeking congressional authorization for these actions, prompting bipartisan concerns about the legal and strategic foundations of the operations. Lawmakers are advancing war powers resolutions that could reach votes this week in response to what many perceive as executive overreach.
The September incident has become particularly contentious after revelations that the victims were survivors clinging to wreckage from the initial strike. Admiral Frank ‘Mitch’ Bradley, who ordered the fatal follow-up attack, reportedly acknowledged to lawmakers that although the two individuals attempted to overturn their damaged vessel, success was unlikely. According to briefings, the victims were waving from the overturned craft without attempting to call for reinforcement.
Legal experts including John Yoo of Berkeley Law and Michael Schmitt, former Air Force lawyer and professor emeritus at the U.S. Naval War College, have raised serious concerns about potential violations of the Pentagon’s manual on laws of war, which explicitly prohibits firing upon shipwrecked persons.
The administration maintains that these operations are legally justified under U.S. and international law, with supporters like Senator Jim Risch claiming the drug interdictions have saved numerous American lives by preventing narcotics from reaching domestic shores.
As congressional committees schedule additional classified briefings, lawmakers from both parties are seeking greater transparency, including the release of video footage from the September engagement and a clearer explanation of the strategic objectives behind the military buildup targeting Venezuela.