Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is calling on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to provide a classified briefing to lawmakers as the President Donald Trump administration ramps up military operations in Venezuela, raising concerns of potential conflict.
Schumer Demands Classified Senate Briefing On Trump's Venezuela Military Plans
On Wednesday, Schumer posted on X, "I'm demanding @SecRubio provide an All-Senators classified briefing on Trump's military buildup and reported plans for military operations in Venezuela. The Trump administration has failed in their duty to consult with Congress.“
“He added, The last thing Americans want right now is another endless war."
US Military Strikes Venezuelan Drug-Smuggling Boats, 83 Killed Since September
The escalation comes after Rubio announced the U.S. will designate Venezuela's Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organization, accusing President Nicolás Maduro of leading the group.
Rubio said in a statement, "Neither Maduro nor his cronies represent Venezuela's legitimate government.“
He added, “Cartel de los Soles by and with other designated FTOs including Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel are responsible for terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere as well as for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe."
In recent days, the U.S. military has struck multiple alleged drug-smuggling boats, resulting in the deaths of 83 people since September, reported The Hill.
The attacks were carried out by Joint Task Force Southern Spear, part of U.S. Southern Command.
Meanwhile, the military has restarted jungle warfare training in Panama for the first time in more than 20 years.
Trump told reporters last week, "I can't tell you what it is, but we made a lot of progress with Venezuela in terms of stopping drugs from pouring in." Maduro has repeatedly called for peace between his country and the United States.
US Strikes Venezuelan Drug-Smuggling Boats
Former national security adviser John Bolton said Monday that President Trump had “put the gun on the table” in his standoff with Venezuelan President Maduro, as U.S. military pressure increased.
Bolton criticized the strikes on drug-smuggling boats as reflecting unclear White House objectives, blending anti-narcotics efforts with broader ambitions against Maduro.
Earlier this month, Trump announced a second strike on a Venezuelan drug-smuggling boat in international waters, killing three men, as a follow-up to a September 2 strike that killed 11.
He called the cartels a threat to U.S. national security, posting an unverified video of a vessel exploding at sea.
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