ISTANBUL

The legality of the Trump administration deploying an aircraft carrier battle group to waters near Central and South America is “questionable," Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly said on Sunday.

Kelly's remarks come as the US military conducted its 10th strike on a suspected Venezuelan drug vessel, with all attacks taking place in international waters.

"They were tying themselves in knots trying to explain this. We had a lot of questions for them, both Democrats and Republicans. It was not a good meeting. It did not go well," he told ABC News.

Kelly also expressed criticism of the potential US military land operations in Venezuela.

"You don't move a battlegroup all the way from where it was to the Caribbean. Unless you're planning on either to intimidate the country, which is rather intimidating, or you're going to start conducting combat operations in Venezuela."

This renders the US "less safe," the senator noted, stressing that launching a war against Venezuela over what is essentially a law enforcement matter "does not make any sense."

Thus far, the US strikes are believed to have killed at least 43 people.