US EditionHegseth and Rubio Share Classified Details on Boat Strikes with Congressional Leaders
Rubio and Hegseth updated Congress on 16 strikes killing 66 near Venezuela, as lawmakers question legal grounds and demand transparency on military actions.
- On Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth briefed a bipartisan group of national security lawmakers in a secure Capitol facility on U.S. strikes on alleged drug-smuggling vessels.
- President Donald Trump approved covert operations last month and followed that with a naval surge including the USS Gerald Ford , which marks 20% of the Navy's deployed warships.
- The Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel provided a secret opinion and a 40-page legal opinion explaining the administration says campaign killed at least 66 people in 16 strikes, senators on intelligence and armed services committees said.
- Facing bipartisan criticism, Congress plans to vote Thursday on a war powers resolution requiring approval before any strikes on Venezuela, with Sen. Mark Warner calling strikes without demonstrating they carry drugs 'a huge mistake.'
- Legal analysts and several lawmakers say the strikes lack congressional authorization and raise legal concerns, while a growing bipartisan group demands transparency and plans votes to block further military action.
102 Articles
102 Articles
Associated Press News
Hegseth and Rubio share classified details on boat strikes with congressional leaders
Top Trump administration officials have briefed lawmakers on the growing U.S. campaign to destroy alleged drug-smuggling boats in the waters off South America.
The Straits Times
Rubio, Hegseth brief lawmakers on boat strikes after congressional frustration
WASHINGTON - Top Trump administration officials briefed members of the Senate and House of Representatives on Wednesday about strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats off Venezuela, after frustration in Congress about a lack of transparency about the operation. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Rubio, Hegseth brief lawmakers on boat strikes as frustration grows on Capitol Hill
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth briefed a group of top congressional members behind closed doors on Wednesday following President Trump’s orders for a wave of unprecedented U.S. military strikes against alleged drug boats that are raising the specter of a new war.Legal analysts have broadly described the strikes as illegal under both U.S. and international law — in part because they have not been authorized by C…
“Weaponizing Grief”—Experts Weigh In on Trump’s Continuing Boat Strikes
Yet again, like clockwork, “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth boasted on November 4 about a “lethal kinetic strike” on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific. “Lethal kinetic strike” is apparently tough-guy talk for killing what many suspect are fishermen. Hegseth claimed, again, that the victims were engaged in “illicit narcotics smuggling,” and as always offered no proof. Two people were killed, raising the death toll from the strikes to 67. The attacks…
Marco Rubio will report to Congress on recent military interventions against drug trafficking networks in the Caribbean and the Pacific, amid demands for greater transparency. The senator and foreign affairs officer, Marco Rubio will present to the United States Congress a closed-door session to account for the military operations deployed by Washington in the Caribbean and Pacific regions with the aim of combating drug trafficking networks. The…
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will report to Congress this Wednesday in camera about the U.S. Army’s operation against narco-lanches in the Caribbean, near Venezuela, and in the Pacific, near Colombia. White House spokesman Karoline Leavitt revealed this Tuesday that Rubio will meet with the so-called Group of 12, which includes the leaders of the Republican majority and the Democratic minority of both chambers, as well as members of the i…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 79% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
