U. S. Strikes on Venezuelan Boats Raise Questions and Tensions

In a recent move, top officials from the Trump administration met with key lawmakers to discuss U. S. strikes on boats suspected of drug trafficking near Venezuela. The meeting came after growing concerns in Congress about the lack of clarity surrounding these operations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth spent about an hour explaining the strikes to both Republican and Democratic leaders. These strikes, which have been happening since early September, targeted boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, resulting in dozens of deaths. The administration claims these boats were carrying drugs, but they haven't provided any evidence or explained why they chose to strike instead of stopping and arresting the people on board. Some legal experts are worried that these strikes might be breaking international and U. S. laws. Despite this, Republican lawmakers seem happy with the briefing. House Speaker Mike Johnson even called the intelligence about the boats "exquisite, " saying they knew almost everyone on board was involved in drug trafficking. These strikes have made things tense between the U. S. and Venezuela, especially since Trump ordered more military presence in the area and said they would strike drug-related targets inside Venezuela. Colombia's President Gustavo Petro, a long-time U. S. ally, has been arguing with Trump about these strikes, which have killed some Colombians. Trump has also put sanctions on Petro. Senator Mark Warner, a top Democrat on the intelligence committee, criticized the administration for not being open about their actions and the legal reasons behind them. He thinks these strikes without clear evidence are a big mistake that makes people doubt the administration. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have been frustrated with the Pentagon for not keeping them informed about important national security issues. This has led to a rare show of frustration from both parties. The Pentagon, now renamed the Department of War by Trump, denied accusations that its top policy official wasn't briefing Congress properly, suggesting a growing divide between the agency and lawmakers.