Sen. Paul: Trump ‘Pretending As if We Are at War’ With Venezuela
Sen. Rand Paul issued a blistering warning on Sunday, accusing the White House of attempting to sidestep Congress by labeling a prominent Venezuelan narcotics network as a foreign terrorist organization—an action he said could effectively place the United States on a wartime footing.
During an appearance on CBS News’ Face the Nation, the Kentucky senator argued that the administration’s move, set to take effect Monday, would hand the executive branch sweeping military latitude without the constitutionally mandated deliberation over whether the nation should enter hostilities. He cautioned that the administration’s posture suggests something far more consequential than counternarcotics enforcement.
“They are pretending as if we are at war,” Paul said. “When you have war, the rules of engagement are lessened.”
The impending designation adds “Cartel de los Soles” (“Cartel of the Suns”) to the Foreign Terrorist Organization registry, with U.S. officials asserting that the syndicate operates under the direction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the organization as responsible for “terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere,” placing it alongside Islamist factions, separatist militias, guerrilla groups, and, increasingly, major Latin American drug cartels already listed by the State Department.
Paul pushed back forcefully, saying that invoking wartime powers in the context of drug interdiction is both reckless and illegal. He noted that maritime stops often uncover no contraband despite initial suspicions.
He pointed out that roughly a quarter of vessels intercepted near U.S. shores are found to be completely free of narcotics.
“It actually would be unlawful if the Coast Guard started blowing up boats,” he said. “But for some reason, they say we are at war off the coast of Venezuela.”
Paul, who sits on both the Homeland Security and Foreign Relations committees, said he and Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia urged the administration to seek an official declaration of war if it intends to operate under wartime authorities in the region.
“The administration refused,” he said. “They want it both ways.”
The senator further complained that he has been locked out of key classified briefings, asserting that only “a few hand-selected people” have been cleared to review the underlying intelligence.
He warned that the policy’s secrecy threatens fundamental legal norms, especially because U.S. personnel have been detaining alleged traffickers without pursuing evidence or interrogating them about cartel structures.
According to Paul, several such detainees have been quietly transferred to Colombia or Ecuador without any attempt to glean information that could disrupt narcotics networks.
He also remarked that some officials have advocated military involvement in Venezuela for years, singling out Rubio, whom he said had “very much [been an] advocate of regime change” prior to joining the administration.
Paul added that aggressive action in Venezuela—or any renewed push for Ukraine funding—could strain the political coalition that helped propel Trump to power.
“A lot of people, including myself, were attracted to the president because of his desire to not get us involved in foreign wars,” he said.
{Matzav.com}
