Rubio, Hegseth Brief Lawmakers on Venezuela Boat Strikes Amidst Growing Congressional Frustration
WASHINGTON – Senator Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Sebastian Gorsuch briefed top lawmakers Wednesday on recent U.S. military actions targeting alleged narco-drug traffickers off the coast of Venezuela, a move that comes as frustration mounts on Capitol Hill over the Trump management’s transparency and the legal basis for the operations. The briefing, the first of its kind in over two months, did little to quell concerns from many members of Congress who feel excluded from critical data regarding the escalating U.S. involvement in the region.
The situation began to unfold in mid-October 2025,with President Trump confirming U.S.central Intelligence Agency (CIA) covert operations in Venezuela,followed by a surge of U.S. naval forces to the waters off South America. The USS Gerald Ford, the nation’s largest aircraft carrier, and its strike group – representing 20% of the Navy’s deployed warships – is currently headed to the region.
The White house defended its handling of the situation on Tuesday, with Press Secretary karoline Leavitt stating the administration is “very happy to speak” with senators about its operations against narco-drug traffickers, characterizing recent briefings as a “top example of their cooperation” and noting this was the ninth such briefing. “The president made it very clear if senators want to understand the administration’s operations against narco-drug traffickers, we are very happy to speak with them about that,” she said.
however, lawmakers have consistently voiced concerns about the limited scope and partisan nature of the information provided. Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, publicly criticized the administration last week for holding a closed-door briefing with approximately a dozen GOP Senators,excluding Democrats entirely. Warner stated, “Someone should be fired” for the oversight, adding, “We hit a new low…what the administration did in the last 24 hours is corrosive not only to our Democracy but downright perilous for our national security.”
During Wednesday’s briefing, lawmakers expressed concerns over a lack of a clear legal basis for the President’s orders, access to a list of targets, and comprehensive information regarding evidence recovered and the identities of those killed in the strikes.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is now preparing to force a vote on a war powers resolution aimed at blocking further use of military force against Venezuela. Trump administration officials are reportedly lobbying Republicans to vote against the resolution. Senators Tim Kaine, Rand Paul, and Adam schiff introduced the resolution, arguing that the Constitution grants Congress, not the President, the authority to declare war.
A previous attempt to limit strikes in the Caribbean failed in a 48-51 vote, with Senators Paul and Lisa Murkowski joining Democrats. Senator Kaine believes this new resolution, focused specifically on Venezuela, has a greater chance of passage, arguing that the earlier resolution’s focus on the Caribbean proved a deterrent for some members.
Context: The U.S. has long been concerned with the flow of narcotics from Venezuela,and the Trump administration has taken an increasingly assertive stance towards the Maduro regime. The debate over these military actions highlights the ongoing tension between executive power and congressional oversight,particularly regarding the use of military force abroad. The invocation of war powers and the constitutional division of authority between the branches of government are central to this unfolding situation.
