Both chambers of the US Congress have approved increased scrutiny of attacks by the US military on drug boats plying Caribbean waters in which more than 80 people were killed. Several Democratic members of Congress warned that one of the attacks, ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, might have violated international norms and constituted a war crime. Report published The Washington Post Hegseth is blamed for ordering a second bombing against survivors of a drug boat off the coast of Venezuela on September 2.
Pictures taken by a drone show the presence of two survivors out of the 11 crew members, who were clinging to the remains of the boat, according to the American newspaper. The Commander-in-Chief then gave the order to attack again on the orders of Hegseth, who changed the name of his ministry to the War Department. Sources consulted mail They claim that Hegseth gave a verbal order to kill all crew members. According to those sources, he said: “Kill everyone.”
Many Democratic members of Congress believe that the operation ordered by the Secretary of Defense could constitute a war crime. “This amounts to a war crime if true,” said Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine. “If this report is true, it is a clear violation of the laws of war itself, as well as international laws regarding the way people are treated in those circumstances,” Kane said in an interview on CBS.
Another Democratic Senator, Mark Kelly (Arizona), noted that the rules of international law had been violated. Kelly, a former fighter pilot, was severely reprimanded by the White House for asking the military to disobey some orders that were “illegal” or contrary to the US Constitution. “If that’s true, if what’s been reported is accurate, then I have serious concerns about someone in that chain of command crossing a line that should never be crossed,” Kelly told CNN.
“I am pleased that Senators Wicker and Reed are working together in a bipartisan manner to investigate deeply disturbing reports of illegal orders issued by the Department of Defense,” Congressman Tim Kaine previously wrote in X.
Kane points out that the two main committees in both houses of Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives, have warned that they will request explanations for the controversial military operation. Mississippi Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Democrat Jack Reed of Rhode Island, a member of the same panel, issued a joint statement last Friday: “The committee is aware of recent media reports, and the Department of Defense’s initial response, regarding alleged subsequent attacks on suspected drug vessels in the Southcom area of responsibility.” They added: “The committee has directed investigation requests to the Ministry of Defense, and we will conduct strict oversight to determine the facts related to the circumstances.”
The next day, representatives of the House Armed Services Committee, Representative Mike D. Rogers, Republican of Alabama, and Rep. Adam Smith, Democrat of Washington, issued a similar statement. “This committee is committed to providing strict oversight of the Department of Defense’s military operations in the Caribbean,” the two representatives said. Turner was asked what he would think if there was an attack on people who couldn’t defend themselves. He added: “Obviously if that happened it would be a very serious matter and I agree it would be an illegal act.”
The attack in question occurred on September 2. It was the first of more than twenty bombings against drug boats in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific, where more than 80 people were killed in operations that had neither authorization from the United States Congress nor judicial support.
US President Donald Trump was asked on Sunday as he was traveling on Air Force One returning to Washington about this matter. The Republican president confirmed that he had no knowledge of the story. “I don’t know anything about that.” He added: “He (Hegseth) claims he did not say that and I believe him.” In the usual meeting with journalists on board the presidential plane, he said: “We will investigate the matter.” In response to journalists’ persistent questions, he admitted, “I didn’t want that. Pete said that didn’t happen.”
Hegseth rejected accusations of war crimes. In a post on the social network, He continued: “Our current operations in the Caribbean are legal under US and international law, and all of our actions comply with the law of armed conflict, and are approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, throughout the entire chain of command.”
This controversy occurs at a time of maximum tension between the United States and Venezuela. The Trump administration launched a rhetorical attack against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The White House has deployed the largest military contingent in decades to the region, including thousands of soldiers and several warships, including the USS Gerald R. Ford, the most advanced and largest aircraft carrier in the US military.
The United States accuses Venezuela of being a drug state. Its head is the leader of the Sun Cartel, an alleged drug trafficking criminal group, although he has not provided sufficient evidence. A few weeks ago, the Suns Cartel was declared a criminal organization, according to the State Department. With this maneuver, he is filled with arguments for a military attack, a possibility that the American president has been flirting with for about a month.