Republican senator strongly criticizes attacks on Venezuela; Trump has no legal authority to attack.
Speaking on NBC News, Senator Paul criticized Trump’s recent military actions against what the US government considers drug traffickers in the Caribbean, arguing that the US president lacks the legal authority to carry out such attacks without congressional approval.
“They are acting against all our traditions. When you kill someone, you have to know, if you are not at war, in a declared war, you have to at least know the name of the person,” the Republican senator told the American media outlet.
Stressing that the process is illegal, Paul added, “You have to charge them with something. You have to provide evidence. So all these people are being torn apart without us knowing their names, without any evidence of a crime.”
The Trump administration has carried out more than six attacks on boats in international waters, resulting in the deaths of more than 20 people so far. Washington officials have defended the administration’s handling of the situation, saying the drug cartels pose an imminent threat to American lives and that the president has the authority to use deadly force against them.
But a group of congressional representatives has called the actions illegal and expressed frustration with the evidence the administration has presented to justify the deadly attacks on boats in the Caribbean.
Asked by an NBC anchor whether the attacks were legal, Paul said, “No.”
“That’s the difference between war and peace. In war, you don’t ask people their names, but if they want a full-scale war where we kill everyone in Venezuela or coming out, we have to declare war,” he added.
“It’s not pretty, it’s very expensive, and I don’t agree with declaring war on Venezuela. But Congress has to vote. The president shouldn’t do it himself.”
According to IRNA, tensions between Washington and Caracas have escalated after the deployment of more than 4,000 US military personnel near the coast of Venezuela, along with eight missile-equipped military ships and a nuclear submarine, as well as the dispatch of 10 F-35 fighter jets to an air base in Puerto Rico, under the pretext of fighting drug cartels.