The ranking members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees have accused the Trump administration of keeping Congress out of the loop regarding a series of targeted strikes on boats carrying alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Pacific.
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., wrote a letter Friday to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard claiming their committees "have received virtually no information about the Intelligence Community's support for these operations" despite repeated requests.
"We have not been told which agencies are providing intelligence support, the nature of that assistance, or the amount of IC resources and personnel dedicated to this effort," they wrote. "Nor have we been advised about the IC's role in collecting and analyzing intelligence after the strikes to assess the identities of those targeted, the type and quantity of drugs that may have been onboard, and the impact of the strikes.
"This is a clear violation of the legal obligation to keep the intelligence committees fully and currently informed."
President Donald Trump reportedly said Thursday that his administration planned to brief Congress on operations against drug cartels.
He said taking on cartels on land would be next but added he does not necessarily intend to seek a declaration of war to tackle the issue.
The U.S. military has been increasing its presence in the Caribbean, including deployments of guided-missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine, and thousands of troops.
"Well, I don't think we're going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I think we're just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. OK?
"We're going to kill them."
Himes and Warner wrote that the Trump administration has acknowledged a legal opinion from the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel that purports to provide justification for the strikes.
They said it was not provided to Congress and that neither the Department of War nor any other executive agency has disclosed the underlying analysis.
Attorney General Pam Bondi would neither confirm nor deny the existence of such an opinion during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Oct. 7.
"I'm not going to discuss any legal advice that my department may or may not have given or issued at the direction of the president on this matter regarding Venezuela," Bondi said in response to a question from Sen. Chris Coons, D-Conn.
On the same day, however, Charles Young, nominated to be the U.S. Army's general counsel, reportedly told lawmakers during his confirmation hearing that the OLC opinion was created with input from attorneys across the U.S. national security establishment.
Himes and Warner attached an addendum to their letter requesting detailed answers about the Intelligence Community's role in the strikes, including target identification, operational support, post-strike assessment, and the overall strategic effect.
They requested a written response by Oct. 31.
"Please tell us in writing whether IC attorneys have independently analyzed the legality of these strikes and the potential for legal repercussions for IC personnel who support them," they wrote. "If such an analysis exists, we ask that you provide it to the congressional intelligence committees.
"If it does not, we ask that the appropriate Intelligence Community personnel brief the committee on why they assessed it was not required."
Newsmax reached out to Gabbard's office for comment.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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