Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, has called for hearings on the Trump administration’s deadly strikes against alleged drug-trafficking boats off the coast of Venezuela. In a statement issued Oct. 20, Smith accused the administration of refusing to answer questions regarding President Donald Trump’s directives to strike vessels alleged to be carrying drugs.
“President Trump and his Administration continue to fail to answer pressing questions regarding the President’s orders to carry out lethal U.S. military strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea,” said Smith. “They have failed to demonstrate the legality of these strikes, provide transparency on the process used, or even a list of cartels that have been designated as terrorist organizations. We have also yet to see any evidence to support the President’s unilateral determinations that these vessels or their activities posed imminent threats to the United States of America that warranted military force rather than law enforcement-led interdiction.”
Among the witnesses whom Smith wants to have testify is Adm. Alvin Holsey, the commander of U.S. Southern Command, whom the Pentagon confirmed last week would be retiring in December, less than a year into a three-year tour. “Never before in my over 20 years on the committee can I recall seeing a combatant commander leave their post this early and amid such turmoil,” Smith said. “I have also never seen such a staggering lack of transparency on behalf of an Administration and the Department to meaningfully inform Congress on the use of lethal military force.”
“I call on Speaker Johnson to immediately bring the House back into session to not only work to end the Republican shutdown, but to also enable the committees to conduct critical oversight,” Smithy concluded. “The House Armed Services Committee must convene a hearing to secure answers to the questions about military operations in the Caribbean and for the SOUTHCOM Commander to testify on these matters.”
