During a confidential meeting at the Capitol on Wednesday, Democratic leaders voiced their confidence in the intelligence backing recent U.S. strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels near Venezuela. Yet, they were critical of the Biden administration’s lack of action towards President Nicolas Maduro following Venezuela’s contentious elections in 2024.
The Office of the General Counsel provided lawmakers with a written justification for several missile strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, which U.S. officials claim took down 63 suspected human traffickers. Lawmakers from both sides expressed their belief that the objectives were valid, although some shared concerns about the overarching strategy.
Senator Mark Warner from Virginia remarked, “My last comment is that the legal opinion doesn’t even mention Venezuela.” He stated confidence in U.S. intelligence but expressed a desire for traffickers to face justice rather than being eliminated through missile strikes.
In a meeting led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior officials, Congressional leaders, including chairs and ranking members of key committees, were updated on the situation. Lawmakers have recently expressed frustration over being left uninformed while the Pentagon carried out various maritime strikes without prior consultations. Details remained sparse regarding the operation’s scope, duration, or the identities of those targeted.
Representative Jim Himes, who is the top Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, voiced concerns, indicating that while they trust the intelligence community’s assessments, things could easily go awry. He pointed out that, despite assurances about monitoring the suspected vessels, the possibility of mistakenly striking non-target boats remained.
House Speaker Mike Johnson also expressed support for the intelligence community’s role in the operation, stating, “We have very good intelligence about attacks on these ships.” However, he acknowledged that the government did not intend to escalate maritime operations into land operations or focus directly on President Maduro.
While there’s no clear indication of plans to expand operations, Himes noted that the administration seemed focused primarily on stopping the flow of cocaine rather than addressing fentanyl trafficking from Mexico.
Some Democrats felt the Biden administration missed a critical chance to unify Latin American allies after last year’s elections when independent observers deemed the opposition candidate, Edmundo González, the legitimate winner.
Warner echoed this sentiment, stating he believed real action should have been taken after the Venezuelan people’s significant stand against Maduro amid threats of violence, calling the lack of regional rallying at that moment a significant misstep.
Post-elections, the Biden administration opted for targeted sanctions against Maduro’s officials while avoiding broader restrictions on Venezuela’s oil sector, citing potential global fuel price hikes and increased migration challenges.
Contrastingly, the Trump administration adopted a tougher approach with sweeping sanctions against Maduro and further pressure on influential South American figures. The Justice Department even offered a $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest and hinted that the recent strikes might be intended to push him towards resignation.
In a recent CBS interview, Trump expressed belief that Maduro’s regime might be nearing its end but was skeptical about the U.S. engaging in war with Venezuela, saying, “I doubt it. I don’t think so.”
