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WASHINGTON (AP) — On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the U.S. military conducted another offensive strike in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The target was a boat allegedly transporting drugs, resulting in the deaths of all four individuals aboard. This action is part of the Trump administration’s contentious campaign against drug cartels operating near South American waters.
Hegseth, who is currently visiting Japan and Malaysia, shared via social media that intelligence reports indicated the vessel was navigating a well-known drug trafficking route and was laden with narcotics. The operation took place in international waters, and no U.S. personnel were injured during the mission.
A video released by Hegseth captures the moment the boat burst into flames and smoke. This marks the 14th strike since the campaign’s initiation at the beginning of September, with the total fatalities reaching at least 61.
Simultaneously, the Trump administration has significantly increased the number of warships in the region, complete with Marines and aircraft. This buildup has sparked speculation regarding potential plans to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom the U.S. accuses of narcoterrorism.
President Donald Trump has defended these maritime attacks as a critical measure to curb drug trafficking into the United States. He likens the situation to an “armed conflict” with drug cartels, invoking the same legal justifications the Bush administration used to declare a war on terrorism following the September 11, 2001, attacks.
But as the number of strikes has grown, a debate in Congress has escalated over the limits of the president’s power. The attacks have occurred without any legal investigation or a traditional declaration of war from Congress, and some lawmakers have raised questions about the lack of hard evidence to justify the killings.
The Trump administration has shown no evidence to support its claims about the boats that have been attacked, their connection to drug cartels, or even the identity of the people killed in the strikes.
Sen. Mark Warner, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Wednesday that the Trump administration has briefed Republicans — but not Democrats — on the boat strikes.
The military briefing at the Capitol comes as the Senate is facing a potential vote on a war powers resolution that would prohibit strikes in or near Venezuela unless Congress approves the military action.
“Shutting Democrats out of a briefing on U.S. military strikes and withholding the legal justification for those strikes from half the Senate is indefensible and dangerous,” Warner of Virginia said in a statement.
“Decisions about the use of American military force are not campaign strategy sessions, and they are not the private property of one political party,” he said.
The briefing was conducted by officials from the Defense and Justice departments for the GOP leadership and senators, according to a person familiar with the situation and granted anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it.
Warner demanded a similar briefing for the Democrats.