Senators Request Information on Military Operations Targeting Venezuela

On Friday, Senators Jack Reed (D) and Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) reached out to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, seeking a copy of an order related to attacks on Caribbean boats linked to drug trafficking, as alleged by the Trump administration.

They issued two letters to Hegseth. The first one, initially sent on September 23rd, outlines a legal obligation requiring Congressional oversight for military executive orders, or EXORDS. According to this letter, such orders are supposed to be submitted to the National Defense Committee within a 15-day timeframe after they are issued.

“Unfortunately, the Department has not complied with this requirement,” the senators noted in their correspondence.

The second letter, which was sent on October 6th, requests a written opinion from the Department of Justice’s Office of General Counsel about the legal basis—both domestic and international—for these military operations.

Additionally, they are asking for a comprehensive list of “all designated terrorist organizations and drug-trafficking organizations involved in a non-international armed conflict” where the President has authorized the use of lethal force.

“To date, these documents have not been submitted,” the senators stated in a report released on Friday.

Tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela are escalating as the Trump administration conducts airstrikes on boats suspected of drug trafficking. Warships, surveillance planes, and fighter jets have all been deployed. There are indications of a covert CIA operation in Venezuela, which seems to have presidential approval, leading to speculation about a larger military initiative targeting the nation.

The Trump administration has suggested a potential ground attack in Venezuela, linking President Nicolas Maduro to the transnational criminal organization Torren de Aragua, which the U.S. has classified as a foreign terrorist organization.

On a contrasting note, Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed claims that the U.S. had decided to strike a Venezuelan military site alleged to be involved in drug smuggling, labeling these reports as fabrications.

President Trump echoed this sentiment, stating that there are no plans for an attack on Venezuela.

A recent YouGov poll conducted on Friday revealed that 42% of Americans oppose military intervention in Venezuela, while only 27% support it. The majority of those surveyed were against land invasions, attacks on vessels, and the presence of U.S. naval forces in nearby waters.