On Wednesday, President Trump mentioned that his administration might seek Congressional approval to target drug cartels that transport drugs over land.
“If they come by land, we’re going to hit them very hard. They haven’t seen that yet, but we’re definitely ready for it. We’ll likely go back to Congress and clarify what we’re doing when the time is right,” Trump stated, sitting next to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House.
Since early September, U.S. forces have launched attacks on suspected drug smuggling ships in the Caribbean, resulting in the deaths of at least 32 individuals.
This initiative is part of the administration’s efforts to pressure Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, whom Trump and his associates consider an “illegitimate” ruler. The president has hinted at possible ground attacks in Venezuela and has recently acknowledged that he authorized the CIA to conduct operations within the country.
The administration has bolstered its military presence near Venezuela by deploying naval vessels and marines to the region.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reported Wednesday that two “narco-terrorists” were killed in an operation against a suspected drug smuggling ship in the eastern Pacific Ocean, marking the first such strike on the continent.
This attack on Tuesday was at least the eighth against drug-smuggling vessels in Latin America since early September.
The situation has led to criticism from Democrats on Capitol Hill, as well as from some Republicans like Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who contended that the escalation was unlawful and needed Congressional consent.
On Wednesday, President Trump insisted that his administration has the legal authority to carry out airstrikes against alleged drug smuggling ships.
“We have the legal authority for this. If we move to land attacks, we might consult Congress, but we do have the authority. This is a matter of national security,” the president stated. “Drugs killed 300,000 Americans last year. That gives us legal authority.”
Earlier this month, Democratic Senators Adam Schiff (California) and Tim Kaine (Virginia) attempted to bring a bill to a vote that would stop U.S. military strikes against suspected drug vessels, but the resolution failed in a 48-51 vote.
“There aren’t many boats on the water right now—things like fishing boats, but really very few overall. So moving forward, we’re less likely to see attacks from land, but attacks from land are still a possibility,” Trump added at the White House on Wednesday.
