Congress Must Demand Oversight of Unauthorized U.S. Military Strikes in International Waters
The Peace Economy Project strongly condemns the recent U.S. military strikes ordered by President Trump in international waters off South America. These actions—resulting in multiple deaths without transparent evidence or congressional authorization—violate both domestic and international law.
As Senator Jack Reed, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has noted: “There is no evidence – none – that this strike was conducted in self-defense. That matters, because under both domestic and international law, the U.S. military simply does not have the authority to use lethal force against a civilian vessel unless acting in self-defense.”
We urge Congress to:
- Hold Immediate Hearings to investigate the legality of these strikes.
- Demand Transparency from the Department of Defense and the Trump Administration regarding the evidence used to justify lethal action.
- Reassert Congressional Authority over matters of war and peace, as mandated by the U.S. Constitution.
Unchecked executive war powers erode democracy and escalate conflicts abroad. It is time to shift resources away from militarization and toward solutions that strengthen communities at home and abroad.
