Rep. Meeks demands hearing on 'unauthorized' US military strikes in Caribbean, Pacific
'The absence of any credible legal rationale for the Administration’s armed campaign against drug cartels raises alarming questions,' says lawmaker
WASHINGTON
Rep. Gregory Meeks on Thursday formally requested an urgent hearing to examine military strikes by the Trump administration in the Caribbean and Pacific regions.
In a letter to House Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast, Meeks expressed concern about the administration’s nine strikes, which have been conducted without congressional authorization and resulted in at least 37 deaths.
Meeks criticized the administration’s justification for the strikes, which rests on a newly created “Designated Terrorist Organization” list, arguing it conflicts with Congress’ constitutional authority to declare war.
"The absence of any credible legal rationale for the Administration’s armed campaign against drug cartels raises alarming questions about whether it intends to conduct similar extrajudicial strikes elsewhere in the world—or even within the United States," he wrote in the letter.
He raised doubts about the intelligence behind the strikes, citing reports that some victims of an Oct. 14 attack were fishermen mistakenly targeted, and survivors of an Oct. 16 strike were repatriated without assurance of prosecution.
"Ultimately, we may not agree on the value or even the legality of these strikes," Meeks wrote. "But there should be no disagreement that the House Foreign Affairs Committee has a constitutional duty to conduct oversight on matters of war and peace in which the Executive is acting wittingly without congressional authorization."
He warned that the administration’s "unilateral" expansion of the strikes could escalate into a broader regional conflict and urged immediate public hearings with senior administration officials to ensure transparency and accountability.
The US has carried out at least nine strikes in the Caribbean Sea, beginning last month, against vessels allegedly carrying illegal drugs in international waters.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth announced his department is forming a joint task force operating in the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility to target drug trafficking organizations.
