Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., says evidence indicates U.S. military boat strikes have gone beyond the parameters of President Donald Trump’s orders. In a letter to Trump, Kaine argues that people killed in the strikes may not have been involved in narcotrafficking. Both outlets report that Kaine characterizes the situation as the military exceeding the scope of directed action against alleged drug-smuggling vessels.
Kaine’s claims focus on whether the targets were actually engaged in drug trafficking at the time of the strikes. Fox News reports that Kaine accuses the Pentagon of causing deaths of individuals who were not participating in narcotics trafficking, based on evidence he says supports that conclusion. ABC News similarly reports that Kaine says the military “exceeded” Trump’s stated parameters and that the strikes likely killed people not involved in narcotrafficking.
The reports describe Kaine’s allegations and his communication to the president, but do not include an official response in the provided excerpts from the Pentagon or the administration.
