WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that U.S. troops have killed 32 people in less than two months. seven strikes Crackdown on drug smuggling ships in the Caribbean.
Mr Trump is justified the attack as a necessary expansion to stem the flow of drugs into the United States. He claimed that the United States was involved in: “Armed conflict” with drug cartelsIt relies on the same legal authority that the Bush administration used when it declared a war on terror after the Sept. 11 attacks.
But as the number of strikes increased, the debate in Congress escalated. limits of presidential power. The attack occurred without any legal investigation or traditional declaration of war by Congress or some members of Congress. raised a question About lack of hard evidence To justify murder.
Meanwhile, due to an abnormal naval build-up off the coast of South America, stir up fear of invasion Venezuela and President Trump speculation may try to defeat President Nicolas Maduro confronts Drug terrorism charges in the US
Below is a timeline of US military actions and concerns among some members of Congress.
January 20th
playing cards sign an executive order On his first day back in the White House, he cleared the way for criminal organizations and drug cartels to be labeled “foreign terrorist organizations.” Among them is the Venezuelan street gang Torren de Aragua.
U.S. intelligence agencies dispute President Trump’s main claim is that the Maduro regime is collaborating with Torren de Aragua to orchestrate drug trafficking and illegal immigration into the United States.
February 20th
trump administration formally designate Eight Latin American criminal organizations are classified as foreign terrorist organizations.
This label typically targets groups such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State that use violence for political ends, rather than profit-seeking criminal organizations.
August 19th
US officials acknowledge military presence Deploys three Aegis missile destroyers It sailed into waters off Venezuela as part of President Trump’s efforts to combat the threat of drug cartels in Latin America.
Naval power in the Caribbean increased within weeks to include three amphibious assault ships, two other U.S. Navy ships, and approximately 6,000 sailors and Marines. Amphibious assault ships carry a variety of aircraft, and the United States deployed F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico in September.
Navy submarines also operate off the coast of South America and can carry and launch cruise missiles.
September 2nd
US perform the first attack President Trump says it was a drug ship that departed. Venezuela It was run by Torren de Aragua.
President Trump announced that 11 people were killed and posted a short video clip that appeared to show a small boat exploding into flames. The video does not show a large or obvious stash of drugs on the boat.
September 10th
In a letter to the White HouseSen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and 20 other Democratic senators said the Trump administration has not provided a “legitimate legal basis” for the strike.
Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a floor speech that week that the U.S. military does not have “the authority to hunt down criminal suspects and kill them without trial.”
September 11th
In Venezuela, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello accuse the US government of murderwhile questioning how the people on board the target ship were connected to the gang.
“So how did they identify them as Torren de Aragua members? I don’t know, but did they have a chip? Did they have a QR code and (the U.S. military) read it from above in the dark?” Cabello said. “They openly confessed to killing 11 people.”
September 15th
US military perform a second attack Three people were killed in an incident on an alleged drug smuggling boat.
Asked what evidence the U.S. had that the ship was carrying drugs, Trump told reporters: “We have proof. Just look at the cargo all over the ocean. There are big bags of cocaine and fentanyl all over the place.”
September 19th
President Trump says the US military carried out the attack Third fatal attack against a vessel suspected of drug smuggling. The president said three people were killed in the attack and that intelligence agencies “confirmed that this vessel was trafficking illegal drugs.”
Multiple senators and human rights groups continue question the legality He described the strike as a potential overreach of executive power.
October 2nd
playing cards declare drug cartels to be illegal combatants A Trump administration memo obtained by The Associated Press says the United States is currently in a state of “armed conflict” with them.
This memo seems to indicate an abnormal situation. President’s assertion of war powersTrump effectively declared: drug trafficking Intervention in the United States constitutes an armed conflict requiring the use of military force.
The memo drew criticism from some lawmakers, including Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. He said only Congress has the power to declare war and characterized the memo as a “pretending way” for the administration to notify lawmakers of the legitimacy of the airstrikes.
October 3rd
Hegseth says he ordered it. Fourth attack on a small boat He is accused of transporting drugs in waters off Venezuela. He said four men were killed in the strike, but gave no details about who they were or what group they belonged to.
In his social media posts, President Trump said the ship had “enough drugs on board to kill 25,000 to 50,000 people” and implied it had “entered American territory” off the coast of Venezuela.
October 8th
senate republican reject the bill In that case, the president would have needed to get approval from Congress before further military strikes against the cartels.
The vote was 48-51, mostly along party lines, with Republican Sens. Paul Murkowski and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voting yes, and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voting no.
October 14th
President Trump announces fifth attack Six people were claimed dead against a small boat accused of carrying drugs. The president said “intelligence” confirmed that the ship was associated with a “narco-terrorist network” and was trafficking drugs on known drug trafficking routes.
October 15th
President Trump approves he authorized the CIA It said it plans to carry out covert operations inside Venezuela and is considering conducting ground operations in the country.
The president said his administration was considering further strikes in the area and was “looking at the land.” He declined to say whether the CIA has the authority to take action. maduro.
October 16th
admiral who oversees military operations in the region he says he is retiring In December.
Admiral Alvin Holsey became commander of the U.S. Southern Command last November, overseeing a region that includes the Caribbean and the coasts of South America. This type of post usually lasts 3-4 years.
October 16th
President Trump said the United States had attacked a sixth vessel believed to be transporting drugs in the Caribbean. Kill 2 people, leave 2 alive People on board the semi-submersible.
The president later said this is what the survivors would do. Sent to Ecuador and Colombiatheir home country “for detention and prosecution.” The repatriation avoided questions about what their legal status would be in the U.S. justice system.
October 17th
US military attack the 7th ship Hegseth was said to be in possession of a “substantial amount of drugs” and to have ties to Colombian rebel groups. National Liberation Army, or ELN. He said the attack killed all three “terrorists” on board.
When Hegseth announced the strike on October 19, he did not provide any evidence for his claims, but he did share a short video clip of a boat engulfed in flames.
October 20th
Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, is calling for a hearing on the boat attack.
“In my more than 20 years on the committee, I have never seen a combatant commander leave office so early and in the midst of such turmoil,” Smith said in a statement about Holsey’s impending departure. “And on behalf of the Administration and the Department, I have never seen such an alarming lack of transparency in providing meaningful information to Congress about the use of deadly force.”
