By Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate on Wednesday blocked a preliminary move to terminate President Donald Trump’s use of the military to destroy boats carrying alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers, unless he gets authorization from Congress.
The effort, spearheaded by Democratic Senators Adam Schiff of California and Tim Kaine of Virginia – and with the backing of Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky – was stopped by a vote of 48-51.
One other Republican, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, joined in the effort, which was a procedural step to bring up the legislation for a vote on passage by the full Senate.
“Using the U.S. military to conduct unchecked strikes in the Caribbean risks destabilizing the region, provoking confrontation with neighboring governments and drawing our forces into yet another open-ended conflict without a clear mission or exit strategy…because of one man’s impulsive decision-making,” said Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee and sits on the Armed Services panel, said the president is simply following through on a campaign pledge.
“President Trump stated very clearly and repeatedly during the campaign that he would attack these cartels if necessary. This is simply him keeping his word to the American people,” Cotton said, adding that the “strikes were lawfully sound and extremely limited.”
The U.S. military has carried out at least four strikes in the Caribbean Sea against vessels allegedly carrying illegal drugs, most recently on October 3 just off the coast of Venezuela. At least four people were killed in that attack, according to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Trump in recent days has dangled the possibility of land attacks as well.
At least 21 individuals, still unidentified, have been killed, according to U.S. officials.
Earlier on Wednesday, Kaine told reporters that during a classified briefing for Senate Armed Services Committee members last week, administration officials provided no information on why the U.S. military has been ordered to attack and destroy these vessels, rather than intercept them.
He and Schiff said the attacks could mistakenly be launched on innocent people, including those who are victims of human trafficking.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday said the latest vessel bombed by the U.S. was Colombian with Colombian citizens aboard. But further information on those citizens was not immediately available.
Previously, counter-drug operations have been generally carried out by the U.S. Coast Guard, the main U.S. maritime law enforcement agency, not the U.S. military.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan and Nolan D. McCaskill; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
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