Nearly half of Americans disapprove of U.S. military strikes on boats suspected of drug trafficking near Venezuela, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, revealing deep public skepticism about President Donald Trump’s expanding anti-narcotics campaign in the Caribbean and Pacific.
The survey found that 48% of respondents opposed the operations, which have killed 87 people since September, while 34% supported them and 18% remained undecided. The strikes, ordered without prior judicial authorization, are part of Trump’s wider strategy to confront what Washington labels “narcoterrorist” networks allegedly linked to President Nicolás Maduro, a claim Venezuela has denied.
Public reaction cuts across party lines. Among Republicans, 67% supported the strikes, while 19% opposed them. Among Democrats, opposition rose sharply, with 80% against and only 9% in favor. The results suggest that even within Trump’s own party, a notable share of voters are uneasy about the legal and ethical basis for the attacks.
Legal and ethical concerns over the strikes
Experts have questioned whether the U.S. campaign violates both international law and constitutional limits on presidential power. The Constitution grants Congress the authority to declare war, yet Trump’s administration has carried out more than 20 strikes without congressional or judicial approval.
Reports that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth allegedly instructed commanders to “eliminate all survivors” following a September 2 attack have further fueled criticism. Legal scholars warn that such directives could constitute extrajudicial killings, as no public evidence has confirmed the boats were carrying narcotics.
Despite White House assertions that the operations are protecting Americans from drug trafficking, critics argue that the lack of transparency undermines their legitimacy. The ongoing campaign is one of the most aggressive U.S. military actions in Latin American waters in decades, coinciding with broader efforts to pressure Maduro’s government.
Pardon of Honduran ex-president sparks further backlash
The same Reuters/Ipsos poll found overwhelming disapproval of Trump’s decision to pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who had been serving a 45-year sentence in the United States for aiding drug traffickers while in office. Sixty-four percent of respondents said they opposed the pardon, only 8% supported it, and the remainder were unsure.
Trump defended the move, claiming without evidence that Hernández had been targeted by a political “witch hunt” under the previous Democratic administration. The White House portrayed the decision as a humanitarian gesture, citing alleged pleas from Honduran citizens.
The survey, conducted online between Dec. 4 and Dec. 9 among 4,434 adults nationwide, carries a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points. The results suggest growing domestic unease over both the scope and morality of the Trump administration’s Latin American policy — an agenda that blends aggressive use of force with controversial political decisions.