Trump to meet with Venezuela officials in Oval Office as concerns rise over his military actions

President Trump to Convene White House Meeting on Venezuela Strategy

President Donald Trump plans to hold a Monday evening meeting at the White House to discuss future actions regarding Venezuela, according to sources who spoke with CNN. The gathering comes as Washington intensifies its pressure campaign on the country and scrutiny grows over whether recent military operations have exceeded legal boundaries.

Senior members of the administration are expected to participate, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller are also scheduled to attend. The discussion is set for 5 p.m. ET in the Oval Office.

The meeting coincides with an expanded US military presence in the Caribbean and strikes against vessels accused of transporting narcotics. As part of Operation Southern Spear, the Pentagon has deployed more than a dozen naval ships and around 15,000 troops to the region.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was consulting with his national security team on Venezuela as well as broader global matters, emphasizing his responsibility to safeguard international stability.

Meanwhile, Trump and defense officials are facing intensified questions over the legality of US strikes that targeted suspected drug boats, resulting in more than 80 deaths. Lawmakers from both parties have said they intend to examine reports that a second strike was executed after an initial attack failed to eliminate all individuals on board. Sen. Angus King of Maine stated that, if confirmed, a follow up strike intentionally targeting survivors would constitute both a war crime and homicide.

On Monday, Leavitt identified Adm. Frank M. Bradley of US Special Operations Command as the official who authorized the second strike, asserting that he acted within legal and operational boundaries. She noted that Secretary Hegseth had granted him the authority on September 2, allowing him to ensure the destruction of the vessel and neutralize what was described as a threat to the United States.

Pressed on the legal basis for the operation, Leavitt said it was conducted in self defense to protect Americans and complied with international law. Trump told reporters Sunday that he would not have supported a second strike and questioned claims that Hegseth had ordered it, adding that he intended to review the matter.

Leavitt said Hegseth has since spoken with concerned lawmakers, though she did not specify which. She noted that Congress has already received multiple bipartisan briefings and has been given access to classified materials, including a Justice Department legal opinion.

Sen. Mark Warner, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he and Vice Chair Tom Cotton are examining the issue and expect to speak with Bradley this week. Warner also urged the administration to release an unedited video of the incident to determine whether individuals targeted after the initial strike posed an ongoing threat.

Sen. King, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Congress plans to question officials throughout the chain of command to determine the origin and execution of the order.

The administration has shown no indication of scaling back its activities. Trump recently said the US would soon expand efforts to curb Venezuelan drug trafficking by land. Over the weekend, he issued a directive warning pilots, airlines and criminal organizations to avoid Venezuelan airspace, though he later downplayed its significance. He also confirmed speaking by phone with Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro but did not discuss the substance of their conversation.

Last week, the administration formally designated Maduro and his associates as members of a foreign terrorist organization, a move officials say grants the US broader authority to conduct military operations inside Venezuela.

In a separate development, Republican Rep. Maria Salazar criticized Trumps announcement that he would pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernndez, whose US drug trafficking conviction had been a major case. She described the decision as sending conflicting signals amid the administrations campaign against Maduro.

Leavitt defended the pardon, arguing that the conviction stemmed from excessive prosecution under the previous administration. She said Trump remains firm in his efforts to block illegal narcotics from reaching US borders and to correct what she described as politically motivated actions by the former Justice Department.