Democrats Adam Schiff from California and Tim Kaine from Virginia are set to initiate a vote this week on a resolution aimed at preventing U.S. troops from conducting strikes against vessels near Venezuela.
This resolution, based on the War Powers Act, comes after a recent military strike targeting a boat off the coast of Venezuela, which the Pentagon claimed was transporting drugs. Defense Secretary Pete Heggs noted that the operation resulted in the deaths of four individuals identified as “narcoterrorists.”
Although the resolution faces an uphill battle in both the House and Senate, which are under GOP control, it aims to raise awareness about this pressing issue.
“Only Congress has the authority to declare war, and while we recognize our responsibility to prevent drug trafficking, we cannot justify dragging the country into another conflict that could harm our citizens,” Schiff stated.
The initiative to vote on this resolution was initially reported by Punchbowl News.
So far, the U.S. military has executed four strikes against boats in the Caribbean, alleging that these operations were part of a cartel-run scheme for smuggling drugs. The White House has reported that 21 individuals were killed during these actions.
Heggs mentioned that the vessels targeted in the recent operation are linked to groups designated as terrorists by the U.S. Southern Command.
The operation, according to the Department of Defense chief, occurred in international waters, and thankfully, there were no injuries during the mission.
“Our intelligence has certainly confirmed that this ship is involved in drug trafficking,” Heggs remarked.
On Thursday, former President Trump announced that the United States is engaged in a war against drug cartels, which he labeled as terrorist organizations, thereby providing a legal framework for attacking local vessels.
“Recently, our Navy has been instrumental in eliminating cartel terrorists from the waters,” Trump told U.S. service members aboard the USS Harry S. Truman. “And as you know, we’ve been unable to locate any boats out there. We’re having a hard time finding them.”
