Using Military Inside the U.S. — Week of Dec 8, 2025

This week, a U.S. Senator took to the Senate floor to challenge what he described as a large-scale military buildup near Venezuela undertaken without congressional approval. In Unanimous Consent Request--S. 3344, Senator Jeff Merkley described approximately 15,000 American troops, 11 warships including the Navy's largest aircraft carrier, fighter jets, bombers, and other military assets deployed to the Caribbean. He also described military strikes on boats off Venezuela's coast and the reopening of a naval base in Puerto Rico to support operations. He introduced legislation to block unauthorized military action against Venezuela.

This might matter because the Constitution gives Congress — not the President — the power to decide when the country goes to war. If a President can deploy tens of thousands of troops and begin military strikes without asking Congress, it could erode the war powers framework that exists to ensure the American public, through their elected representatives, has a say in decisions about armed conflict. The staging of operations from Puerto Rico also means U.S. territory is directly involved in the military footprint.

There are important alternative explanations to consider. Most plausibly, the administration may view this deployment as part of longstanding counternarcotics operations in the Caribbean, for which presidents have historically used military assets without specific war authorizations. It is also possible the buildup is intended as pressure on Venezuela's government rather than a prelude to actual combat. Additionally, this account comes from a single senator who opposes the action — the administration's legal and factual characterization may differ significantly.

Limitations: This analysis is based on one senator's public statements. The specific claims about troop numbers and military strikes have not been independently verified through this review. This is AI-generated analysis, not a finding of fact.