I am urging you to act immediately to stop President Donald Trump’s accelerating and unlawful march toward a war with Venezuela — a war Congress has not authorized, the public does not support, and that legal experts warn could expose U.S. personnel to criminal liability.
Over the past several months, Trump has ordered a series of deadly attacks on small boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing at least 80 people without warning or due process. These extrajudicial killings violate U.S. law, the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and international legal norms. The Defense Secretary publicly boasts that “the Western Hemisphere is America’s neighborhood,” echoing the same pretext Russia uses for justifying aggression against Ukraine.
Now, the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel has issued a 40-page memo claiming that Trump can conduct these killings as part of a “war” against drug cartels — while simultaneously arguing that he does not need congressional authorization because these actions do not amount to “hostilities.” This memo attempts an impossible contradiction: it is war when the president wants unchecked power, and not war when Congress asserts its constitutional authority. No OLC note can transform murder into legality.
These actions have already damaged U.S. national security. Key partners — including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Colombia — have stopped sharing intelligence because they refuse to be complicit in unlawful killings. Even America’s closest allies will no longer identify vessels for U.S. forces, fearing that any tip will result in an unprovoked strike.
At the same time, Trump is positioning the United States for a major conflict with Venezuela. The administration has deployed warships, drones, marines, and now the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier. Former diplomats and military analysts now believe military action is “imminent.” Senior defense officials have presented Trump with options for land strikes. Venezuela is preparing a guerrilla-style response across hundreds of sites, meaning any U.S. attack could trigger an Afghanistan-style quagmire.
The regime's stated rationale — fighting “narco-terrorists” — is false. Venezuela does not produce cocaine and is not part of the fentanyl pipeline. Trump’s own intelligence agencies dismissed this narrative months ago. The OLC memo simply recites White House claims as fact, ignoring the overwhelming evidence that this “threat” is a political invention.
Congress must act now. You have the constitutional authority — and obligation — to prevent an unauthorized war and halt illegal executive violence. Hold emergency hearings. Demand all legal justifications and intelligence assessments. Reassert congressional war powers. Pass binding legislation prohibiting further attacks without authorization. And require immediate cessation of all unlawful killings at sea.
No president has the authority to fabricate intelligence, kill civilians without oversight, or initiate a war of aggression. Congress must rein in this dangerous abuse of power before the consequences become irreversible.
First sent on November 14 by Coleman · 6,318 signers in
the past 7 days
