Lawmakers urge congressional reviews of Trump’s military strikes on boats
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US lawmakers are demanding answers from the Trump administration over military strikes on suspected Venezuelan drug-smuggling boats, following a report alleging that a follow-up attack targeted survivors of an initial strike. Republican-led committees overseeing the Pentagon have pledged “vigorous oversight” into the operations, which have killed more than 80 people in the Caribbean since early September.
The Washington Post reported that a strike on 2 September left two survivors, but a second attack was allegedly carried out under Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s orders to “kill everybody” on board, raising potential legal concerns under international law. Hegseth dismissed the report as “fake news,” and President Donald Trump expressed full confidence in his defence secretary.
The US has expanded its military presence in the Caribbean to intercept drug trafficking from Venezuela and Colombia, describing the strikes as self-defence in a non-international armed conflict. However, under the Geneva Conventions, wounded participants in such conflicts must be captured and cared for rather than targeted.
Lawmakers from both parties emphasised the seriousness of the allegations. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine said, “This rises to the level of a war crime if it’s true,” while Republican Mike Turner noted that Congress had not confirmed the follow-up strike but would consider it illegal if verified. The Senate and House Armed Services Committees have initiated inquiries to gather a full account of the operations, signalling heightened scrutiny over the US anti-narcotics campaign in international waters.
