US Officials Brief Lawmakers Amid Escalating Military Actions Near Venezuela

Congressional Briefings on Venezuela Operations

On Tuesday, December 16, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared before members of the House and Senate on Capitol Hill to brief lawmakers on the United States' escalating military actions near Venezuela. The closed-door sessions were held amidst growing congressional investigations and concerns regarding the swift increase in U.S. military force and a series of deadly boat strikes in international waters near the South American nation.

The briefings specifically addressed a controversial military strike on September 2, 2025, which resulted in the deaths of two survivors from an initial attack on a boat allegedly carrying cocaine in the Caribbean. Lawmakers are scrutinizing the rationale behind this incident and the broader U.S. military buildup in the region, which many perceive as increasingly directed at Venezuela.

Escalation of Military Force and Boat Strikes

Since early September 2025, the United States military, under President Donald Trump, has conducted a campaign of lethal strikes on vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean. These operations, which the administration describes as efforts to combat 'narco-terrorist' networks, have reportedly resulted in at least 95 deaths across 25 strikes on 26 vessels as of December 15, 2025.

The U.S. military presence in the region has significantly increased, involving:

• Deployment of warships
• Fighter jets operating near Venezuelan airspace
• The recent seizure of an oil tanker off Venezuela's coast on December 10

President Trump announced a blockade of 'sanctioned oil tankers' into Venezuela, alleging that the country uses oil to fund drug trafficking and other criminal activities.

Congressional Scrutiny and Legal Concerns

The administration's actions have drawn sharp criticism and calls for accountability from lawmakers. During the briefings, Defense Secretary Hegseth stated that the Pentagon would not publicly release unedited video of the September 2 strike, citing national security concerns. This decision has fueled further questions from Congress, with some members pushing for war powers resolutions to assert legislative authority over military engagements, given that the Trump administration has not sought explicit congressional authorization for its actions against Venezuela.

Legal experts and some lawmakers have raised serious concerns about the legality of the strikes, with some characterizing them as 'murder' or even 'crimes against humanity' under international law, particularly in the absence of a declared armed conflict. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has consistently maintained that the U.S. military operations are a pretext to force him from office.