Rubio, Hegseth brief lawmakers on boat strikes as frustration grows on Capitol Hill

Source: NPR

November 5, 2025 6:30 PM ET


Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth briefed a group of top congressional members behind closed doors on Wednesday following President Trump's orders for a wave of unprecedented U.S. military strikes against alleged drug boats that are raising the specter of a new war.

Legal analysts have broadly described the strikes as illegal under both U.S. and international law — in part because they have not been authorized by Congress. Trump officials invited a dozen members of Congress, including Republican and Democratic leaders and the top lawmakers on intelligence and armed services committees in both chambers. A growing bipartisan group of lawmakers have submitted months of demands for more information on the attacks.

Since the strikes began in September, at least 66 have been killed in 16 strikes in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean, according to the administration. Trump said last month he approved covert operations in Venezuela, which was followed by orders to send a surge of U.S. naval forces to the waters off South America.

Pentagon officials said the country's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, and its strike group, which marks 20% of the Navy's deployed warships is now headed for the region. On Tuesday, the White House disputed claims it wasn't being transparent enough with Congress regarding the strikes and military buildup in the region.

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2025/11/05/g-s1-96661/rubio-hegseth-venezuela-congress