The Trump administration says the U.S. military has killed at least 69 people in against drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since early September.
President Donald Trump has as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States. He has asserted the U.S. is engaged in an , relying on the same legal authority used by the Bush administration when it declared a war on terrorism after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
But as the number of strikes has grown, a debate in Congress has escalated over . The attacks have occurred without any legal investigation or a traditional declaration of war from Congress, and some lawmakers about the to justify the killings.
Meanwhile, an unusual naval buildup off South America has in Venezuela and speculation that Trump President Nicol谩s Maduro, who faces
Here is a timeline of the U.S. military actions and the concerns among some lawmakers:
READ MORE: A timeline of US attacks off South America and what Congress has had to say
Jan. 20
Trump on his first day back in the White House that paves the way for criminal organizations and drug cartels to be named 鈥渇oreign terrorist organizations.鈥� They include Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan street gang.
Trump鈥檚 central claim that Maduro鈥檚 administration is working with Tren de Aragua and orchestrating drug trafficking and illegal immigration into the U.S.
Feb. 20
The Trump administration eight Latin American crime organizations as foreign terrorist organizations.
The label is normally reserved for groups like al-Qaida or the Islamic State that use violence for political ends 鈥� not for profit-focused crime rings.
Aug. 19
U.S. officials confirm the military to the waters off Venezuela as part of Trump's effort to combat threats from Latin American drug cartels.
The naval force in the Caribbean grew within weeks to include three amphibious assault ships and two other U.S. Navy vessels, about 6,000 sailors and Marines in total. The amphibious assault ships have a variety of aircraft on board, and the U.S. deployed F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico in September.
A Navy submarine also is operating off South America and is capable of carrying and launching cruise missiles.
Sept. 2The U.S. against what Trump says was a drug-carrying vessel that departed from and was operated by Tren de Aragua.
Trump says 11 people were killed and posts a short video clip of a small vessel appearing to explode in flames.
Sept. 10
, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and two dozen other Democratic senators say the Trump administration has provided 鈥渘o legitimate legal justification鈥� for the strike.
Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, says in a floor speech that week that the U.S. military is not 鈥渆mpowered to hunt down suspected criminals and kill them without trial.鈥�
Sept. 15
The U.S. military against an alleged drug boat, killing three people.
Asked what proof the U.S. has that the vessel was carrying drugs, Trump told reporters: 鈥淲e have proof. All you have to do is look at the cargo that was spattered all over the ocean 鈥� big bags of cocaine and and fentanyl all over the place.鈥�
However, images of what Trump described were not released by the military or the White House.
Sept. 19
Trump says the U.S. military carried out against an alleged drug-smuggling vessel. The president says the attack killed three people and that intelligence 鈥渃onfirmed the vessel was trafficking illicit narcotics.鈥�
Several senators and human rights groups continue of the strikes, describing them as a potential overreach of executive authority.
Oct. 2
Trump and says the U.S. is now in an 鈥渁rmed conflict鈥� with them, according to a Trump administration memo obtained by The Associated Press.
It appears to represent an extraordinary , with Trump effectively declaring that into the U.S. amounts to armed conflict requiring the use of military force.
The memo drew criticism from some lawmakers, including Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.
Oct. 3
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says he ordered he accuses of carrying drugs in the waters off Venezuela. He says the strike killed four men but offers no details on who they were or what group they belonged to.
Trump says in his own social media post that the boat was 鈥渓oaded with enough drugs to kill 25 TO 50 THOUSAND PEOPLE鈥� and implied it was 鈥渆ntering American Territory鈥� while off the coast of Venezuela.
Oct. 8
Senate Republicans that would have required the president to seek authorization from Congress before further military strikes on alleged cartels. The vote fell mostly along party lines, 48-51.
Oct. 14
against a small boat accused of carrying drugs, saying it killed six people. The president says 鈥渋ntelligence鈥� confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, associated with 鈥渘arcoterrorist networks鈥� and on a known drug-trafficking route.
Oct. 15
Trump confirms to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela and says he was weighing carrying out land operations on the country.
The president says the administration 鈥渋s looking at land鈥� as it considers further strikes in the region. He declines to say whether the CIA has authority to take action against .
Oct. 16
The Navy admiral who oversees military operations in the region in December.
Adm. Alvin Holsey became leader of U.S. Southern Command only last November, overseeing an area that encompasses the Caribbean Sea and waters off South America. Such postings typically last between three and four years.
Oct. 16
Trump says the U.S. struck a sixth suspected drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean, who were on the semi-submersible craft.
The president later says the survivors would be , their home countries, 鈥渇or detention and prosecution.鈥� Repatriation avoided questions about what their legal status would have been in the U.S. justice system.
Oct. 17
The U.S. military that Hegseth says was carrying 鈥渟ubstantial amounts of narcotics鈥� and associated with a Colombian rebel group, . Hegseth, who announces the strike on Oct. 19, says it killed all three 鈥渢errorists鈥� on board.
Oct. 20
Rep. Adam Smith, top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, calls for a hearing on the boat strikes.
鈥淣ever before in my over 20 years on the committee can I recall seeing a combatant commander leave their post this early and amid such turmoil," Smith said in a statement of Holsey's impending departure. 鈥淚 have also never seen such a staggering lack of transparency on behalf of an Administration and the Department to meaningfully inform Congress on the use of lethal military force.鈥�
Oct. 21
launched its eighth strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel, killing two people in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
The attack, announced on social media a day later, marks an expansion of the military鈥檚 targeting area and a shift to the waters off South America where much of the cocaine from the world鈥檚 largest producers is smuggled.
Oct. 22
Hegseth announces the ninth strike, another in the eastern Pacific, saying three men were killed. Video he posts on social media shows a boat on the move, an explosion, then flames and smoke pouring out of the vessel. The footage cuts to what looks like several packages floating on the water.
Oct. 24
Hegseth orders the U.S. military's most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, to the waters off South America. It's a significant escalation of as the Trump administration intensifies strikes on vessels.
Oct. 24
Hegseth says the military on a suspected drug-running boat, leaving six people dead. He says the vessel was operated by the , which originated in a Venezuelan prison.
鈥淚f you are a narco-terrorist smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat you like we treat Al-Qaeda,鈥� Hegseth said in a post on social media. 鈥淒ay or NIGHT, we will map your networks, track your people, hunt you down, and kill you.鈥�
Oct. 27
Hegseth says were carried out in the eastern Pacific that killed 14 people and left one survivor. Announced a day later, the military action targeting four vessels was the first time multiple strikes were announced in a single day and brought the total number of attacks to 13.
Hegseth said Mexican search and rescue authorities 鈥渁ssumed responsibility for coordinating the rescue鈥� of the sole survivor.
Oct. 29
Hegseth says the U.S. military on a boat he said was carrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing all four people aboard in the 14th attack.
In a social media post during a trip to Asia, he says intelligence determined the craft was 鈥渢ransiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics.鈥�
Oct. 29
Sen. Mark Warner, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, says the Trump administration 鈥� but not Democrats 鈥� on the boat strikes.
The military briefing at the Capitol comes as the Senate is facing a potential vote on a war powers resolution that would prohibit strikes in or near Venezuela, unless Congress approves the military action.
Oct. 31
U.N. human rights chief Volker T眉rk into the strikes, in what appeared to mark the first such condemnation of its kind from a United Nations organization.
Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for T眉rk鈥檚 office, relayed his message at a briefing: "The U.S. must halt such attacks and take all measures necessary to prevent the extrajudicial killing of people aboard these boats.鈥�
Nov. 1
Hegseth posts another video as he announces , saying the vessel in the Caribbean Sea was operated by a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. He does not name the group that was targeted and says three people were killed.
Nov. 4
In the , Hegseth posts on social media that two people have been killed aboard a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
The same day the leaves the Mediterranean Sea on its way to the Caribbean after Hegseth ordered it to the region more than a week earlier.
Nov. 6
Hegseth announces the . He says three people were killed aboard the vessel, which he claims was 鈥渙perated by a Designated Terrorist Organization.鈥�
