Democrats introduce bill to halt Trump's strikes on Venezuela: NYT

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The New York Times
19 Sep 2025 15:39
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Two Senate Democrats have introduced a resolution to stop US President Trump from conducting unauthorized military strikes on Venezuela.

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The west front of the Capitol is seen in Washington, Thursday, September 11, 2025. (AP)

The New York Times on Friday reported that two Democratic senators have introduced a resolution aimed at halting US military actions in Venezuela that were never explicitly authorized by Congress. The initiative, led by senators Adam Schiff and Tim Kaine, follows two US strikes earlier this month that led to the killing of 14 Venezuelan civilians.

The Trump administration insists the attacks targeted drug cartels accused of trafficking fentanyl into the United States. Venezuelan officials, however, have rejected this claim, denouncing the strikes as acts of aggression against their sovereignty and accusing Washington of fabricating links to organized crime in order to justify military escalation. Caracas maintains that the boats destroyed were not engaged in narcotics operations and has demanded respect for international law.

"While we share with the executive branch the imperative of preventing and deterring drugs from reaching our shores, blowing up boats without any legal justification risks dragging the United States into another war and provoking unjustified hostilities against our own citizens," Mr. Schiff said. "This unauthorized and illegal use of our military must stop."

Kaine echoed this criticism, stating that "President Trump has no legal authority to launch strikes or use military force in the Caribbean or elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere." He warned that the administration has "refused to give basic information about the strikes to Congress, including why it was necessary to put the lives of US military personnel at risk."

Sovereignty under threat

For Venezuela, the strikes are viewed as part of a broader campaign of hostility aimed at destabilizing the country. Officials have pointed out that the United States has offered no verifiable proof of cartel involvement, framing the accusations as politically motivated. The government has launched military readiness drills in response, describing them as defensive measures to protect territorial waters and reassure its citizens.

🔥 Watch Venezuela's Navy flex its power near La Orchila Island. Caribbean waters just got hotter. Ready for what comes next? We are. ⚓🇻🇪 #NavyDrill #Caribbean #nopasaran pic.twitter.com/jPdetPuaws
— Orinoco Tribune (@OrinocoTribune) September 18, 2025

The Schiff-Kaine resolution notes that the president retains the power to respond to an "armed attack" or imminent threat, but notes that "the trafficking of illegal drugs does not itself constitute such an armed attack or threat." Venezuelan leaders argue that this distinction reflects the illegality of Washington's actions, portraying the strikes as provocations that endanger regional peace rather than legitimate counternarcotics operations.

The move comes amid reports that the administration is drafting legislation that could seek broad authorization for future use of force against groups accused of trafficking narcotics. From Caracas' perspective, such measures would further erode international norms, turning counternarcotics into a pretext for intervention and placing Venezuela squarely in the crosshairs of an aggressive foreign policy agenda.