Lawmakers voice support for congressional reviews of Trump’s military strikes on boats

Bipartisan lawmakers are calling for thorough investigations into recent U.S. military strikes against suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. The congressional scrutiny follows a Washington Post report claiming Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order to kill all crew members during a September 2 operation.

While neither confirming nor denying the report’s accuracy, legislators from both parties emphasized the serious legal implications if such orders were given. Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) was unequivocal in his assessment, stating, “This rises to the level of a war crime if it’s true.”

Representative Mike Turner (R-Ohio) acknowledged that targeting survivors who are no longer capable of fighting would constitute an illegal act, though he noted Congress has not received information confirming such actions occurred. Both the House and Senate Armed Services Committees have launched formal investigations into the matter.

The controversy emerges amid the Trump administration’s intensifying campaign against drug trafficking, particularly operations allegedly linked to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government. President Trump confirmed Sunday that he recently spoke with Maduro, though he declined to characterize the call, simply stating, “I wouldn’t say it went well or badly.”

The administration’s anti-drug trafficking operations have taken on geopolitical dimensions, with Trump declaring on Saturday that airspace “above and surrounding” Venezuela should be considered “closed in its entirety.” The Venezuelan government swiftly condemned this as a “colonial threat” aimed at undermining the country’s sovereignty.

Defense Secretary Hegseth has vehemently denied the Washington Post’s allegations. On Friday, he took to social media platform X to defend the operations, calling the reporting “fabricated” and “inflammatory.” He insisted that “our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict.”

President Trump appeared to support Hegseth while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, stating, “Pete said he did not order the death of those two men, and I believe him.” However, the president also noted that his administration “will look into” the matter, adding, “I wouldn’t have wanted that — not a second strike.”

The bipartisan nature of the congressional response underscores the seriousness with which lawmakers view the allegations. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) and ranking member Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) released a joint statement promising “vigorous oversight to determine the facts.” Similarly, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Alabama) and ranking member Adam Smith (D-Washington) committed to “providing rigorous oversight” and taking “bipartisan action to gather a full accounting of the operation.”

Some Republicans, including Representative Don Bacon (R-Nebraska), expressed skepticism about the allegations against Hegseth. “I don’t think he would be foolish enough to make this decision to say, kill everybody, kill the survivors because that’s a clear violation of the law of war,” Bacon said on ABC’s “This Week.”

The controversy highlights the complex legal and ethical questions surrounding U.S. military operations targeting drug trafficking networks. International law generally prohibits attacks on individuals who are incapacitated or have surrendered, even if they were previously engaged in illegal activities.

As investigations proceed, the incident may further complicate U.S.-Venezuela relations, which have remained tense throughout the Trump administration. The situation also raises questions about congressional oversight of military operations conducted under the auspices of counter-narcotics efforts rather than traditional warfare.