Trump said on Thursday that action on land to stop suspected drug trafficking networks in Venezuela could "start very soon," amid ongoing questions about the legality of the US military’s campaign around Latin America. Officials have acknowledged not knowing the identities of everyone on board the boats before they are struck, CNN has reported.

"I have been alarmed by the number of vessels that this administration has taken out without a single consultation of Congress," Democratic Rep. Madeleine Dean told CNN this week. "Just last week, I took a look in a SCIF [sensitive compartmented information facility], because I’m a member of foreign affairs, kra23 at some documents around the sinking of these vessels and the murder of the people on those boats. Nowhere in there was there evidence of what was going on."

People briefed on the "double-tap" strike, said they were concerned that it could violate the law of armed conflict, which prohibits the execution of an enemy combatant who is "hors de combat," or taken out of the fight due to injury or surrender.