The American people — and their elected representatives — deserve to know when, where, and why military force is being used in their name.

Since September, the Trump administration has ordered at least five military strikes on boats in the Caribbean, reportedly linked to drug smuggling from Venezuela.

At least 27 people have been killed, yet key facts remain hidden — including the identities of the victims, the intelligence used to justify the attacks, and whether any civilians or foreign nationals were wrongly targeted.

Now, members of both parties in Congress are raising alarm bells. Lawmakers say they’ve left classified briefings frustrated and with more questions than answers.

We, the undersigned, demand that President Donald Trump, the Department of Defense, and the White House:

• Release unedited video footage of the strikes to relevant oversight committees
• Provide a full legal justification for the military action, including how drug cartels are being classified as combatants
• Disclose the intelligence used to identify strike targets and confirm links to drug trafficking. 

Military action without transparency is a dangerous precedent. Americans have a right to know:

Were the boats really smuggling drugs?
Were the individuals onboard armed?
Were any of them civilians or citizens of other countries?
 

If this is truly a campaign against dangerous cartels, let the administration prove it — not hide it.

Without real oversight, secret wars erode democracy, increase the risk of civilian casualties, and damage U.S. credibility abroad. Congress has a duty to ask questions, and the executive branch has a duty to answer them.