Trump Says Military Action Against Venezuela Would Not Require Congressional Approval | WPN World People News

On the 16th, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a comprehensive blockade of sanctioned oil tankers traveling to and from Venezuela, following earlier U.S. military actions in which suspected smuggling vessels were killed on the high seas. Despite criticism that attacks near Venezuelan waters have exceeded constitutional authority, Trump said on the 18th that he believes even launching military action against Venezuela’s mainland would not require congressional approval.

According to Agence France-Presse, when asked whether he would seek congressional authorization if the United States were to strike drug traffickers on Venezuelan soil, Trump said that while he was not opposed to doing so, he was concerned about information “leaking like a sieve” from the political establishment. Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said, “I don’t mind telling them [Congress], but you know, it’s not a big deal; I don’t have to tell them.”

AFP noted that since September, the U.S. military has carried out multiple airstrikes against vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean and the Pacific, killing at least 99 people. On the 21st, Reuters reported that the United States intercepted and seized a ship in international waters off the coast of Venezuela, sparking intense debate over the legality of U.S. actions.

Under the U.S. Constitution and laws such as the 1973 War Powers Resolution, the president may conduct military operations without congressional consent, but typically only in situations involving national emergencies. Whether Trump can unilaterally use force against a specific country or target criminal organizations remains a highly contentious constitutional issue within the United States.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has previously accused Washington of seeking to overthrow him, rather than merely combating drugs as it claims. On the 17th, Venezuela also sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council requesting an emergency meeting.