Kentucky GOP Leader Criticizes Trump’s Caribbean Boat Actions as ‘Beyond Legal Boundaries

Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky known for his libertarian stance, voiced strong criticism of the Trump administration on Sunday. He accused it of engaging in “extrajudicial killings” through its military actions against suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea.

During his appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” Paul highlighted the lack of evidence presented to Congress to justify these military operations. He pointed out that officials claim these boats are transporting narcotics intended for the United States, yet no concrete proof has been shared with lawmakers.

Paul further emphasized that even if a briefing were to occur, it would not substitute the constitutional requirement for congressional authorization of any military action. “A briefing is not enough to overcome the Constitution. The Constitution says that when you go to war, Congress has to vote on it,” he asserted during the program. He also mentioned that he had not been included in any such briefing.

“A briefing is not enough to overcome the Constitution. The Constitution says that when you go to war, Congress has to vote on it,” Paul said in the interview, noting that “to be clear, we’ve got no information. I’ve been invited to no briefing.”

Paul recognized that during war, there are often “lower rules for engagement,” and “people do sometimes get killed without due process.”

“But the drug war… or the crime war has typically been something we do through law enforcement. And so far, they have alleged that these people are drug dealers. No one said their name. No one said what evidence. No one said whether they’re armed. And we’ve had no evidence presented.”

“So, at this point, I would call them extrajudicial killings. And this is akin to what China does, to what Iran does with drug dealers. They summarily execute people without presenting evidence to the public. So, it’s wrong,” Paul added.

The U.S. military, under Trump’s direction, has carried out strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in both the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Venezuela, and more recently in the East Pacific. 

The U.S. military has killed at least 43 people, according to the Trump administration, since the military began its effort. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said early Friday that the military conducted its tenth strike since its campaign began.