U.S. Southern Command has carried out more than 50 lethal strikes against alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since early September, killing at least 190 people under Operation Southern Spear. The most recent strike, in the eastern Pacific on Friday, killed two men the military designated 'narco-terrorists.' The White House has not publicly presented evidence that any targeted vessel was carrying drugs at the time of the strike.
The administration's position, stated plainly: this operation does not require congressional approval. White House Senior Director for Counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka framed it Wednesday as 'strangling the commercial and logistics venues' of cartel organizations designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
The Founders gave Congress the power to declare war for a reason. The oath every officer swears is to the Constitution — not to the convenience of the executive. 190 dead, no public evidence, no vote. The republic deserves an accounting.