Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., arrives to speak to reporters as he introduces tariff legislation at the U.S. Capitol Building on May 8, 2025, in Washington. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Shortly after Trump’s inauguration, the administration designated several drug cartels operating in the United States — and internationally — as terrorist organizations. In recent months, it has used Navy strikes in the Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela to eliminate what it has identified as credible terrorist threats in the United States.
The administration has conducted over 20 strikes since November.
That framing has come under fire in recent weeks as questions have emerged about whether striking boats in international waters violates international law. To Raskin, the strikes have encroached on questions of due process.
HEGSETH SAYS MILITARY CONDUCTED ANOTHER STRIKE ON BOAT CARRYING ALLEGED NARCO-TERRORISTS
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., speaks during a House Judiciary Committee hearing with FBI Director Kash Patel (not pictured), on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 17, 2025. (Annabelle Gordon/Reuters)
Raskin did not readily address why analogous strikes in the Middle East didn't compare directly to the strikes off the coast of Venezuela or why the terrorist designation fell outside the norm of what past administrations have done. He said he believed a difference in location wasn't the issue.
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"[Arguing] if this were a different event that took place in a different place at a different time, it would be lawful. Well, it's gobbledygook," Raskin said.
The Department of War did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for a response to Raskin's criticism.
Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/top-dem-blasts-trumps-cartel-strikes-says-admin-overstepping-war-powers