Washington (AP)-the American military strike about what the Trump government says that a drug-bearing speedboat was from Venezuela came after the ship was turned around and was on the way to the coast, causing new questions because members of the congress demand more information about the provocative attack.
National security officials recognized during a closed briefing this week on Capitol Hill that the boat with 11 people, described by the Trump government as Tren de Aragua -Bendelen, was dismissed several times by the US Army after it had changed course, according to two people who were familiar with the situation of anonymity to the private meeting. The New York Times reported the development for the first time.
The emerging details come if the Trump government has justified the military strike, but various senators, Democrats and some Republicans have indicated dissatisfaction with the government's reasoning and the legality of the action questioned. They consider it a potential over -range of the executive authority, partly by using the army for law enforcement purposes.
Democrats dispute the legal reasoning for the strike
In a letter to the White House, Senator Tim Kaine van Virginia and two dozen said other democratic senators that the Trump government “did not offer a legitimate legal justification” for the strike.
Senators demand more information from the administration about the situation and use of US military power.
“Our forces are not law enforcement agencies,” said Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top democrat in the senate -armed service committee, this week in a speech speech.
“They are not authorized to detect suspected criminals and to kill them without trial,” said Reed.
The Trump government has claimed self -defense as a legal justification for the strike, in which State Secretary Marco Rubio claims that the drug cartels “pose an immediate threat” for the nation. The US, who has designated the Aragua as a terrorist organization, has indicated that more military strikes can come on drug goals if the will “wage war” on cartels.
“The president acted in accordance with the laws of the armed conflict to protect our country against those trying to bring poison to our coast,” said spokesman Anna Kelly of the White House in a statement. “He complies with his promise to accept the cartels and eliminate these national security threats to kill more Americans.”
She said that “it is bizarre that someone runs cover for malignant tren the Aragua narcoterrorists who try to poison our home country, because more than 100,000 Americans die of overdoses every year.”
The Pentagon added that drug cartels will find 'no safe haven'.
“This strike has sent a clear message: if you traffic drugs off our coasts, the US army will use each tool at our disposal to stop you cold,” said Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell.
Reed said in his speech that the administration offered “no evidence that this ship had an attack, or even that it was working on drug trafficking at that time.” He also said that the administration “did not give a positive identification that the boat was Venezuelan, nor that her crew was a member of Tren de Aragua or another cartel.”
Officials indicate that the army is able to launch more strikes
It was unclear what the national security officials revealed in their Hill briefing about the identities of those who were on the boat and the proof of the administration that they were gang members. One of the people who are familiar with the situation said that some of those were connected to the boat, but no members, of Tren de Aragua.
It was also not unclear whether the national security officers provided information about the destination of the boat and whether it actually had drugs. They did indicate that the Pentagon has the opportunity to perform extra military strikes in the region, said the people who are familiar with the matter.
Democratic senators have argued that the congress did not authorize the use of military force for this purpose.
“We claim that the congress has not made a declaration of war and neither the use of military force for future similar operations,” wrote the democratic senators in the letter to the president.
Senator Rand Raul, R-Ky., Said it was unlikely that the boat was on its way to the American coasts, which would be a long journey for such a ship.
Paul-a libertarian-leunende Republican with a long history of challenging executive over range, in particular in national security issues that the US cannot easily kill people suspected of misconduct without the right process.
Venezuela accuses the US of Murder
In Venezuela, the Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello accused the American government of Murder on Thursday, characterized her version of events as “a huge lie” and wondered how the people on board the intended ship to the gang were linked.
“And how did they identify them as members of the Tren de Aragua? Did they, I don't know, a chip? Had she read a QR code and (the US Army) from above in the dark?” Said Cabello. “They openly known to kill 11 people.”
Cabello said that Venezuelan authorities are investigating the strike, but have not provided any details.
Cabello also rejected the statement of the US government that the intended ship was wearing 11 people and drugs, which explained that the video released by the White House last week seemed to show a kind of small fishing boat that is known as a “Peñero” in Venezuela.
“If you place 11 people on that Peñero, there is no room for anything else, because when that Peñeros go to the sea, the fishermen must wear gasoline for the return trip so as not to stay on drift,” said Cabello during a meeting of ruling party members.
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Garcia Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela.
