Trump has yet to provide Congress hard evidence that targeted boats carried drugs, officials say

The Trump administration has not provided Congress with concrete evidence that boats targeted by the U.S. military in fatal strikes were carrying drugs, according to U.S. officials. The Senate voted on a war powers resolution to require presidential authorization for future strikes on cartels. The military conducted at least four strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats, killing 21 people. The administration has only shared unclassified videos of the strikes, not hard evidence of drug trafficking. The Pentagon justified the strikes by declaring drug cartels as unlawful combatants, raising questions about Trump's use of war powers and Congress's role in authorizing such actions. Lawmakers expressed frustration over the lack of detail on the decision to target cartels and the legal framework used. The administration argued the strikes are acts of self-defense against cartels funneling drugs into the U.S. Trump has bypassed traditional interagency processes, with a small group of officials driving the strategy. The focus has been on the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and President Nicolás Maduro, who the U.S. accuses of being a major narcotrafficker. Diplomatic efforts with Venezuela have stalled, and Maduro claims the strikes aim to undermine his authority.