Published On 7/11/2025
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Last update: 08:32 (Mecca time)
Republicans in the US Senate blocked, by a narrow majority, a resolution presented by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, aimed at restricting the powers of President Donald Trump to carry out military strikes against Venezuela without authorization from Congress.
51 members voted against the resolution, while 49 supported it, including Republicans Rand Paul and Lisa Murkowski, which led to the thwarting of the effort that came amid growing fears of a US military escalation in the Caribbean region under the pretext of combating drug smuggling.
The New York Times revealed earlier that the Trump administration is considering the options and risks of a possible military operation against Venezuela, which may include targeting military units loyal to President Nicolas Maduro.
The report indicated that Trump’s advisors presented multiple options, including attacks on forces loyal to Maduro and operations against drug trafficking gangs, in addition to controlling Venezuelan oil fields.
The administration also requested a legal brief from the Department of Justice on the legality of carrying out the military operation without the need for prior authorization from Congress.
In a related context, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced yesterday, Thursday, that US forces targeted a boat suspected of drug smuggling in the Caribbean, killing 3 people.
The minister posted aerial footage of the strike on the X platform, which he said took place in international waters, noting that the boat was operated by “an organization classified as a terrorist organization.” This brings the death toll as a result of Washington’s campaign to combat drug trafficking in the Caribbean to more than 70 people.
For his part, Maduro announced that he had mobilized 4.5 million armed men to confront any possible American attack, stressing that his country “will repel any aggression against it.”
Last August, Trump issued a decree expanding the powers of the US military to combat drug cartels in Latin America, followed by US naval movements near the Venezuelan coast, including submarines and warships, amid statements from Hegseth that the army was ready to carry out operations in Venezuela, including “regime change.”