NEWS: Sen. Schiff, Senate Judiciary Democrats Press for Hearing on Legality of Trump’s Extrajudicial Killings in Caribbean Sea

Sens. Schiff, Durbin, Judiciary Dems to Grassley: "These strikes are extrajudicial killings and shocking violations of fundamental principles of due process and the right to life under U.S. and international law."

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) joined Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and all other Senate Judiciary Democrats in urging Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to hold a hearing on the Trump Administration's executions of alleged drug traffickers via military strikes on boats at sea, which have killed at least 95 people so far in 25 separate strikes. The Committee has jurisdiction over extrajudicial killings, murder, war crimes, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), which authored a classified memo providing cover for these killings.

In a letter to Grassley, the Senators highlighted the shocking conduct by the Trump Administration, writing: "Since September, the Trump Administration has summarily executed at least 95 people in 25 known strikes on alleged drug smugglers in vessels at sea. This is not a time to mince words. These strikes are extrajudicial killings and shocking violations of fundamental principles of due process and the right to life under U.S. and international law. The Administration's claims that the people it is killing are guilty of crimes, affiliated with a criminal or terrorist organization, or 'combatants' in a nonexistent armed conflict, do not render these extrajudicial killings any less unlawful. This Committee must address the serious concerns that these strikes may violate U.S. criminal laws, and that Department of Justice attorneys who gave President Trump and Secretary Hegseth legal cover to summarily execute suspected criminals have violated their ethical obligations."

The Senators then made their request, writing: "We respectfully request that you immediately convene a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to ensure that those who authorized these extrajudicial killings are held to account."

The Senators denounced state-sanctioned extrajudicial killings, writing: "There is not, nor can there be, any justification for state-sanctioned extrajudicial killings. Summary executions have no place in a constitutional democracy operating under the rule of law, no matter how heinous the accusations a government makes against someone. Nor can governments fabricate an armed conflict or falsely label people 'combatants' to kill them."

U.S. officials and Members of Congress from both parties have long condemned extrajudicial killings, including of alleged drug traffickers, when committed by other nations, including then-Senator Marco Rubio in 2020 and 2024 and State Departments under both Republican and Democratic Presidents.

The Senators condemned the Trump Administration's weak approach to drug trafficking, including pardoning two drug kingpins, writing: "Make no mistake, drug trafficking is a terrible crime. And it must be addressed with robust, effective, and lawful measures, including interdicting vessels transporting such drugs, prosecuting violators to the full extent of the law, and supporting the needs of impacted families and communities. Instead of intensifying such efforts, President Trump has weakened them."

Since President Trump returned to office, his Administration has diverted thousands of agents from critical drug enforcement missions, shuttered a critical task force, terminated hundreds of grants for state and local law enforcement, and slashed drug trafficking programs, which all has culminated in the lowest level of federal drug prosecutions in decades.

The Senators concluded by reiterating their request for a hearing, writing: "The American people want real solutions to crime and the drug epidemic-not extrajudicial killings committed in their name. In accordance with the Committee's oversight responsibilities, I urge you to schedule an immediate hearing on this outrage."

In addition to Ranking Member Durbin and Senator Schiff, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D- Hawai'i), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).

Read the full letter here and below:

Dear Chairman Grassley:

Since September, the Trump Administration has summarily executed at least 95 people in 25 known strikes on alleged drug smugglers in vessels at sea. This is not a time to mince words. These strikes are extrajudicial killings and shocking violations of fundamental principles of due process and the right to life under U.S. and international law. The Administration's claims that the people it is killing are guilty of crimes, affiliated with a criminal or terrorist organization, or "combatants" in a nonexistent armed conflict, do not render these extrajudicial killings any less unlawful. This Committee must address the serious concerns that these strikes may violate U.S. criminal laws, and that Department of Justice attorneys who gave President Trump and Secretary Hegseth legal cover to summarily execute suspected criminals have violated their ethical obligations.

We respectfully request that you immediately convene a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to ensure that those who authorized these extrajudicial killings are held to account. There is not, nor can there be, any justification for state-sanctioned extrajudicial killings. Summary executions have no place in a constitutional democracy operating under the rule of law, no matter how heinous the accusations a government makes against someone. Nor can governments fabricate an armed conflict or falsely label people "combatants" to kill them.

This is why U.S. officials and Members of Congress from both parties have long condemned extrajudicial killings, including of alleged drug traffickers, when committed by other nations. For instance, Secretary of State and then-Senator Marco Rubio introduced a bipartisan resolution in the Senate in 2020 condemning the state-sanctioned extrajudicial killings of alleged criminals as part of the Duterte government's "war on drugs" in the Philippines. Just last year, then-Senator Rubio introduced a resolution condemning the Maduro regime in Venezuela for the use of extrajudicial killings. Former President Duterte is now facing crimes against humanity charges for his spree of extrajudicial killings of alleged drug traffickers. For decades, under both Republican and Democratic Presidents, the State Department's annual Country Reports on Human Rights have condemned extrajudicial killings by foreign governments as significant abuses of internationally recognized human rights.

Drug trafficking is a terrible crime. And it must be addressed with robust, effective, and lawful measures, including interdicting vessels transporting such drugs, prosecuting violators to the full extent of the law, and supporting the needs of impacted families and communities. Instead of intensifying such efforts, President Trump has weakened them. Just recently, President Trump pardoned Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former President of Honduras who was convicted of helping to smuggle 400 tons of cocaine into the United States as part of what U.S. authorities have characterized as "one of the largest and most violent-drug trafficking conspiracies in the world." This follows the President's pardon of another drug kingpin, Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who created the largest online black market for illegal drugs in our nation's history.

At the same time, this Administration has diverted thousands of Drug Enforcement Administration and other federal law-enforcement agents from their critical drug enforcement missions to carry out the President's radical anti-immigrant agenda. This Administration has also shuttered the critical Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force, unilaterally terminated hundreds of grants that provide critical funding to state and local law enforcement, and is slashing the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program by more than a third, from about $298 million to $196 million. Not surprisingly, federal drug prosecutions under this Administration have dropped to the lowest level in decades. The American people want real solutions to crime and the drug epidemic-not extrajudicial killings committed in their name. In accordance with the Committee's oversight responsibilities, we urge you to schedule an immediate hearing on this outrage.

###