1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

Since September, the Trump administration has murdered nearly 90 people in international waters. President Trump has ordered at least 22 lethal strikes on civilian boats near Venezuela, killing 86 people in clear violation of domestic and international law. Yesterday, before sunrise, American forces boarded a massive Venezuelan oil tanker in international waters, took control of the vessel, and placed both ship and cargo under United States authority. The tanker was loaded with approximately two million barrels of heavy crude. Boarding teams fast-roped from helicopters launched off the USS Gerald R. Ford. The crew did not resist and ship was taken. This is piracy! When President Trump was then asked what would happen to the oil, his answer was “We keep it.” The President of the United States said that America will keep another country’s oil. Under the rules of the sea, foreign flagged commercial ships in international waters are not American property. They are not to be boarded without consent except under extremely narrow circumstances. Yet here we are. A carrier strike group in the Caribbean, boarding the ship of another nation! A tanker taken in open water. A president gloating about the size of the prize and openly suggesting the United States will keep the crude for itself! Venezuela has called it “piracy” and that’s exactly what it is! Cuba has called it “theft”! Those accusations no longer sound like propaganda when the President of the United States goes on record saying exactly what they are accusing the United States of doing! This is happening alongside a pattern of lethal American strikes on small boats in the region. These strikes have been sold to the public as “anti narcotic” operations. Experts across the political spectrum point out that Venezuela is not a fentanyl source and only minimally involved in the cocaine that flows to the United States. Yet the narcotics story is being used as the catchall explanation for everything from missile strikes to maritime seizures. Congress has not voted on any use of force in Venezuelan waters. There has been no debate. There has been no attempt to define what mission the United States is carrying out in the Caribbean. Power is being exercised first and justified later. The President is testing how far he can go without public pushback. So far the answer appears to be “as far as he wants to go!” It’s time for Congress to step in and take charge and do the work they were elected to do! We appear to have a rogue President who does what he wants, without any accountability. The action he has taken, can only be done under the authority of the United States Congress! Are the members of Congress so downtrodden and fearful of this individual that they cannot take charge and do what they were elected to do?! How long is the “leash” that Congress will allow him, before they take action and do the job they are being paid to do?!  The time has arrived to let POTUS know “who” is in charge. He’s offended our allies and appears to have joined forces with Putin and certain nations, which do not have the best interests of the United States in mind and action. He’s ruined our economy and reflected his distain for the people that the President of the United States “serves”. Congress must take action to protect the history of our nation, our allies and it’s people!  We cannot afford to have a rogue “madman” or “charlatan”, out only to line his own pockets with “gold”, in charge of the military, the “nuclear codes”, international relations, and the economy!