Washington – A group of Senate Democrats is pressing the Trump administration to publicly declassify and release the Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel memo that underpins the administration’s lethal anti-drug strikes in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific. The letter, signed by Sens. Elissa Slotkin, Mark Kelly, Angus King, and their colleagues, requests not only the memo but also the names of the Trump administration officials cited within it, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The push intensified in late November 2025 as lawmakers argued that transparency is essential for public accountability and proper oversight of the use of deadly force in counter-drug operations. They noted related reporting in October and November detailing the strikes against suspected drug smugglers and drug boats operating in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
In their appeal, the senators contend that declassification would enable informed public scrutiny of the legal justification for lethal actions, help assess whether appropriate legal standards and oversight mechanisms are being followed, and strengthen constitutional governance in executive decision-making relating to anti-drug missions.
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