Sen. Tim Kaine (D‑VA) said Sunday that if a recent Washington Post report is accurate, a U.S. military strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the Caribbean “rises to the level of a war crime.”
Appearing on CBS’s Face the Nation, Kaine responded to allegations that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered everyone aboard a suspected narco-boat to be killed — and that a second strike was launched to finish off survivors. Kaine said such an act would violate both U.S. laws of war and international law.
“If that reporting is true, it’s a clear violation,” Kaine said. “It’s time for Congress to rein in a president who is deciding to wage war on his own say-so, which is not what the Constitution allows.”
Kaine emphasized that the strike raises serious legal and strategic questions:
- Why did the U.S. opt for deadly force instead of intercepting and arresting the suspects?
- Why were survivors reportedly returned to their home countries without prosecution?
- What is the actual legal basis for these strikes in international waters?
Kaine said the administration’s classified legal rationale for the operation is “very shoddy” and unpersuasive. He also pointed to signs of internal dissent, including the early retirement of the head of U.S. Southern Command and reports that the command’s lead attorney believed the strikes were unlawful.
Allies such as the U.K. have reportedly stopped sharing intelligence with the U.S. over concerns about the legality of these operations. Kaine and other lawmakers have demanded further transparency and oversight.
Hegseth has denied the Post’s report, calling it “fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory.” The administration maintains that all operations complied with both U.S. and international law.
Still, bipartisan support is growing for a congressional investigation into the strikes, as concerns about executive overreach and potential war crimes continue to mount.
