WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) — An increasing number of United States legislators are expressing deep concern about President Donald Trump’s unilateral initiative in conducting military strikes and military build-up in the Caribbean Sea.

Several legislators, from both the Republic and Democratic parties, have taken to television shows on Sunday denouncing Trump’s decision, saying that he has failed to seek congressional approval before striking suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast.

“So far, they have alleged that these people are drug dealers,” said Republican Senator Rand Paul, of Kentucky, adding “no one said their name; no one said what evidence; no one said whether they’re armed. And, we’ve had no evidence presented.”

“So, at this point, I would call them extrajudicial killings. And this is akin to what China does, to what Iran does with drug dealers. They summarily execute people without presenting evidence to the public. So, it’s wrong,” Paul added.

Democrat Mark Kelly questioned the legality of Trump’s military strikes in the Caribbean.

“It’s questionable, and the White House and the Department of Defense could not give us a logical explanation on how this is legal. They were tying themselves in knots trying to explain this. We had a lot of questions for them, both Democrats and Republicans,” said Kelly, alluding to a previous meeting at the White House.

“It was not a good meeting. It did not go well. We were presented some evidence that does not back up the story that the White House is telling to the American people,” he told television viewers.

Another Democrat, Ruben Gallego, described as “murder”, the administration’s military strikes in the Caribbean, stating that they are inconsistent with international law.

“If this president feels that they’re doing something illegally, then he should be using the coast guard. If it’s an act of war, then you use our military, and then you come and talk to us first. But this is murder. It’s sanctioned murder that he is doing,” he said.

Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, who with Senator Paul and Senator Adam Schiff, the Democrat of California, had introduced a war powers resolution earlier this month in trying to prohibit the conduct of military force against Venezuela, said Trump should follow the US Constitution and seek congressional approval before resorting to military force.

“If we’re going to be in a war — whether it’s against boats in Nicaragua chosen off a secret list that the president won’t share with Congress or the public, or a land invasion in Venezuela, it should be done following the debate and a vote in Congress,” said Kaine.

“The Ford strike group that’s being deployed has an awful lot of Virginians. They shouldn’t be sent in harm’s way unless Congress has the guts to vote about whether a war is in the national interest.”

Last month, President Trump ramped up US military presence in the Caribbean Sea ordering an amphibious squadron to the southern Caribbean as part of his effort to address threats from Latin American drug cartels.

A nuclear-powered attack submarine, additional P8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, several destroyers and a guided-missile cruiser have also been allocated to US Southern Command as part of the mission.

The United States military has carried out deadly airstrikes in Caribbean waters over the past few weeks against what Washington alleges are Caracas-backed drug traffickers. The Venezuelan Government denies the charge, accusing the administration of being a threat to the peace and security of the whole region.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally, said that there’s a “real possibility” of a land invasion of Venezuela.

“I think President Trump’s made a decision that [Nicolas] Maduro, the leader of Venezuela, is an indicted drug, drug trafficker, that it’s time for him to go, that Venezuela and Colombia have been safe havens for narco-terrorists for too long,” said Graham.

“And President Trump told me yesterday that he plans to brief members of Congress when he gets back from Asia about future potential military operations against Venezuela and Colombia,” he added.

Last Friday, a Pentagon spokesman said that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the deployment of the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, and its carrier air wing, to the Caribbean in aid of what the administration says is its counter-drug initiative.

Current and former Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders, save in respect of Trinidad and Tobago, who reserved its position, have called for the Caribbean to remain a zone of peace and the importance of dialogue and engagement towards the peaceful resolution of disputes and conflict.

“Caricom remains willing to assist towards that objective,” they added.