Don’t Start a War with Venezuela.
Maduro Wants Peace
A Letter from California Senator Alex Padilla

Dear EAW

(December 12, 2025) — Thank you for writing to share your concerns regarding the recent military actions taken against alleged drug traffickers in international waters. I appreciate hearing from you.

Since early September 2025, President Trump has escalated U.S. military activity in international waters, carrying out over a dozen separate lethal strikes on vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.

I share your strong concerns regarding President Trump’s use of military force without Congressional authorization, and I have joined my colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee to demand answers from Attorney General Pam Bondi about the legality of military strikes ordered by President Trump that have already killed 83 civilians.

These ongoing unauthorized strikes are dangerous and irresponsible, and they are damaging our relationships with regional partners by undermining trust, cooperation, and shared security objectives.

Instead of resorting to lethal military action, the United States should deepen international cooperation and empower law enforcement with the tools needed to stop drug trafficking through interdiction and arrest. That means working closely with maritime and regional partners to bolster intelligence sharing, increasing capacity to intercept illicit narcotics, investing in demand reduction programs, and supporting rule-of-law initiatives in transit countries.

As you may know, Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced a privileged resolution (S.J. Res 83) to terminate the use of the Armed Forces for hostilities in Latin American, barring a specific authorization from Congress, and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced a privileged resolution (S.J. Res. 90) to remove U.S.

Armed Forces from hostilities in or against Venezuela that have not been authorized by Congress. I was proud to cosponsor and vote in favor of both resolutions, which sought to reaffirm Congress’s constitutional role in authorizing military action. Unfortunately, both resolutions failed to pass the Senate, by votes of 48–51 and 49–51 respectively.

Please know that I am committed to working with my colleagues to ensure this administration is held accountable for unauthorized military actions. I appreciate hearing your perspective on this issue, and I will continue to closely monitor the situation involving U.S. military activity across Latin America.

Once again, thank you for writing. Should you have any other questions or comments, please call my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3553 or visit my website at padilla.senate.gov. You can also follow me on Facebook, and Twitter, and you can sign up for my email newsletter at padilla.senate.gov/newsletter