Trump administration officials told lawmakers in a classified briefing that the government does not currently have legal authority to launch military strikes inside Venezuela, according to a new CNN report. Officials also acknowledged the administration is now seeking a new Justice Department opinion that could allow such attacks without congressional approval.
According to the news site, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and an official from the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) informed lawmakers that the existing OLC opinion—written to justify strikes against suspected drug-trafficking boats in international waters—does not apply to land targets in Venezuela or elsewhere in the region.
