The US Senate has voted against a bill that would have required U.S. President Donald Trump to obtain congressional authorization before launching any military operation against Venezuela. The resolution narrowly failed, with 51 senators voting against and 49 in favor.

Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, who sponsored the measure, said before the vote, “We should not go to war without a vote of Congress.” Only two Republican senators—Rand Paul and Lisa Murkowski—joined Democrats in supporting the bill, falling short of the majority needed to pass.

Rising Military Tensions in the Caribbean

The vote came amid heightened US military activity near South America. In recent weeks, US naval forces have carried out a series of strikes against vessels in international waters off Venezuela and Colombia, killing at least 65 people.

Washington claimed the targeted boats were involved in drug trafficking, though Latin American leaders, some US lawmakers, and international law experts described the attacks as “extrajudicial killings,” saying many of the dead were fishermen.

Concerns are growing that the Trump administration may use the buildup—which includes thousands of troops, a nuclear submarine, and the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford—to attempt to topple Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

US Public Strongly Opposed to Military Intervention

A new YouGov poll shows that only 18% of Americans support even limited military action to remove Maduro, while 74% believe the president must obtain congressional approval before engaging in overseas military operations.

Despite this, many Republican lawmakers have backed Trump’s framing of the operations as part of an effort to “cut off deadly drugs” flowing into the United States. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch defended the administration’s actions, stating, “President Trump has taken decisive steps to protect thousands of Americans from lethal narcotics.”

US Bombers Patrol Venezuelan Coast

Tensions escalated further on Thursday when two US B-52 bombers flew parallel to Venezuela’s coastline over the Caribbean Sea. Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the planes circling northeast of Caracas before returning north into open waters.

It was the fourth such flight near Venezuelan airspace since mid-October, following previous patrols involving B-52 and B-1B bombers. The flights have fueled fears that Washington may be preparing for a direct military confrontation.

Congress Reasserts Its War Powers

The debate has revived long-standing tensions between the executive and legislative branches over war powers. Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, only Congress can formally declare war, yet successive administrations have often bypassed that requirement.

Democratic Senator Adam Schiff said the administration’s approach “looks like a potential regime change effort,” adding, “If that’s where the administration is headed—toward war—then Congress must have its say.”