Congress is up in arms over what they call a dangerous blind spot in the fight against drug cartels.
According to Newsmax, Top Democrats on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees are sounding the alarm, accusing the Trump administration of keeping them in the dark about targeted strikes on boats hauling suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Pacific.
Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut and Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, both ranking members of their respective committees, fired off a stern letter to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, claiming they’ve been stonewalled despite repeated requests for details.
“We have not been told which agencies are providing intelligence support, the nature of that assistance, or the amount of IC resources and personnel dedicated to this effort,” Himes and Warner wrote in their letter.
“Nor have we been advised about the IC’s role in collecting and analyzing intelligence after the strikes to assess the identities of those targeted, the type and quantity of drugs that may have been onboard, and the impact of the strikes,” they continued. Talk about a laundry list of unknowns—hardly the kind of clarity you'd expect when dealing with high-stakes operations.
They argue this silence violates legal mandates to keep Congress informed, a point that raises eyebrows when national security and taxpayer resources are on the line.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump broke his silence, promising that Congress would soon get a briefing on these anti-cartel efforts.
He also hinted at expanding the fight to land-based cartel operations, though he made it clear he’s not looking to escalate with a formal declaration of war. While some might cheer this no-nonsense approach to drug trafficking, others could see it as a risky sidestep of traditional checks and balances.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military has beefed up its presence in the Caribbean, rolling out guided-missile destroyers, F-35 jets, a nuclear submarine, and thousands of troops—a show of force that’s hard to ignore.
Himes and Warner pointed out that the administration has referenced a Department of Justice legal opinion supposedly justifying these strikes, yet Congress hasn’t seen a shred of it.
Even Attorney General Pam Bondi, during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Oct. 7, 2025, played coy, neither confirming nor denying the existence of this mysterious document. If transparency is the goal, this cat-and-mouse game isn’t exactly winning points.
On the same day, Charles Young, nominee for U.S. Army general counsel, told lawmakers during his confirmation hearing that the opinion was crafted with input from national security attorneys across the board, which only deepens the intrigue.
The lawmakers didn’t stop at complaints—they attached a detailed addendum to their letter, pressing for specifics on the Intelligence Community’s role in targeting, supporting operations, and evaluating outcomes post-strike.
They’ve given the administration until Oct. 31, 2025, to provide written responses, a deadline that suggests patience is wearing thin. While the fight against drug cartels is a cause many can rally behind, shutting out Congress risks fueling distrust at a time when unity matters most.
