WASHINGTON – Today, Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Jim Himes (D-CT-04) wrote to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard regarding the Administration’s failure to provide Congress with basic information about the Intelligence Community’s role in the ten lethal strikes against suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, which have killed at least 43 people as of this morning. The letter argues that this constitutes a clear violation of the Administration’s legal obligation to keep the intelligence committees fully and currently informed about significant intelligence activities. 

“To be clear – we are acutely aware of the tens of thousands of American lives lost every year to illicit drugs and we agree that these dangerous criminal cartels should be held to account,” the lawmakers wrote. “However, in order for us to conduct our basic, constitutionally required oversight of the IC there are fundamental questions that require answers, to include the factual basis for and effects of the strikes. Most importantly, good intelligence is critical to ensure that these operations do not kill innocent people with no connection to the drug trade. There have already been public reports that these strikes have killed individuals who were not affiliated with any drug trafficking organization.”

The letter continued, “To the extent that IC personnel are assisting DOD activities in this space, they must do so knowing that they are supporting legally authorized operations. Accordingly, please tell us in writing whether IC attorneys have independently analyzed the legality of these strikes and the potential for legal repercussions for IC personnel who support them. If such an analysis exists, we ask that you provide it to the congressional intelligence committees. If it does not, we ask that the appropriate Intelligence Community personnel brief the committee on why they assessed it was not required.

A copy of letter is available here.