GOP Senator Justifies Caribbean Bombings, Says ‘Cartels Are Backed by Venezuela’s Navy and Pose a Threat to the U.S.’

Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts defended ongoing U.S. military strikes targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean, citing alleged ties between narcotraffickers and Venezuela’s armed forces.

“The cartels are backed by the Venezuelan Navy and pose a threat to the United States,” Ricketts told NTN24, adding that President Donald Trump “is doing the right thing” by ordering the destruction of boats transporting drugs that “kill thousands of people in the United States every year.”

Ricketts said military force would not be questioned if “another type of attack” had occurred, arguing that lawmakers should not second-guess the response. His comments coincide with heightened scrutiny in Congress over the legality and oversight of the strikes.

The remarks come as U.S. officials report at least 15 suspected narcoboats destroyed and 64 alleged narcoterrorists killed since the start of the operation. The deployment includes naval assets positioned near Venezuela, where Washington claims the so-called Cartel de los Soles, tied to senior Venezuelan officials, coordinates cocaine trafficking.

On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth briefed a group of top lawmakers behind closed doors on the expanding campaign, claiming the operation is designed to disrupt narcotrafficking. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the briefing demonstrated ongoing consultation, calling it “a top example of cooperation.” She said it was the ninth such briefing since the strikes began.

Some lawmakers, however, disagree. Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said members have received limited information and called earlier exclusion of Democrats from briefings “corrosive not only to our democracy but downright dangerous for our national security,” according to NPR.

Warner also questioned the shift away from interdiction and criminal prosecution toward lethal force, saying evidence proving narcotics trafficking “would go a long way in convincing Americans” of the campaign’s legitimacy. Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on House Intelligence, said he remains concerned that some casualties “are not who the administration claims,” though he noted the administration has begun sharing its legal rationale.

Several Republican senators say they are still undecided ahead of a vote to restrict the administration’s authority to conduct military operations against Venezuela, as Politico reports. Four GOP members said they are reviewing the Justice Department’s legal rationale, while two others have already opposed the strikes.

“I want to make sure that we do our due diligence and that we’re doing things correctly long-term,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who sits on the Intelligence and Armed Services panels. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) added she wants to review “the legal opinion that the Office of Legal Counsel did,” noting that the briefings alone were insufficient.