NEW YORK, November 6. /TASS/. The administration of US President Donald Trump is seeking a separate legal opinion from the Justice Department that would justify strikes on ground targets in Venezuela without having to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force, CNN reported, citing a US official.

At a closed briefing on Wednesday, administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, told lawmakers that the US currently lacks the legal basis and plans for attacks on ground targets in Venezuela. They explained that the existing legal opinion only allows strikes against ships suspected of transporting drugs, not land targets.

One US official warned that "what is true one day may very well not be the next," noting that Trump has not yet decided how to deal with Venezuela. The officials also said that the massive buildup of military power in the Caribbean is intended to support counterdrug operations, not strikes on land.

Since September, the US Navy has carried out 16 known strikes on ships, killing at least 67 people. However, according to CNN, the briefing did not convince some Democrats that US actions are legal. Representative Gregory Meeks said he heard "nothing" that would convince him of the legality of these strikes.