Senate Republicans threatened to block President Donald Trump’s nominees from receiving confirmation to pressure Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth to answer questions about strikes on alleged drug boats in Latin America. 

The Washington Post reported on Sunday that, earlier this year, the Republican-led Senate Armed Services Committee made a threat that it would hold up political nominees unless the Department of War released documents related to strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific. 

Two sources speaking with the outlet said Hegseth relented and released documents to the legislators. 

Starting in September of 2025, the Pentagon began conducting airstrikes on alleged vessels carrying narcotics for cartels in Latin America. The US has killed nearly 250 people and destroyed at least 72 vessels. 

Republican Senator Rand Paul has slammed the war against cartels as unconstitutional and argued strikes on suspected drug-running vessels are “extrajudicial killings.” “A briefing is not enough to overcome the Constitution. The Constitution says that when you go to war, Congress has to vote on it. … The drug war, or the crime war, has typically been dealt with through law enforcement,” Paul told Fox News last year. “And so far they have alleged that these people are drug dealers … and we’ve had no evidence presented. So at this point we would call them extrajudicial killings.” 

The White House has not presented public evidence that the vessels were associated with cartels or involved in smuggling narcotics. Some of the victims’ family members said those killed were engaged in legal activities, such as fishing. 

The Pentagon is preparing to face more challenges in Congress as Republicans are expected to lose their majorities in the House and Senate.