British News Agency

The administration is facing renewed calls from lawmakers for more transparency, particularly regarding the controversial decision related to two attacks on a boat in the Caribbean in September and the killing of survivors in the second attack.

Key members of Trump's cabinet and national security team — including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — as well as White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller were expected to attend the meeting.

The Oval Office meeting came as the U.S. increased pressure on Venezuela through strikes on drug-trafficking vessels and a buildup of military presence in the Caribbean region.

Under the Pentagon’s “Southern Spear Operation,” the U.S. military deployed more than a dozen warships and 15,000 troops to the region. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that Trump “is discussing this issue and many others with his national security team,” adding that “ensuring global peace is part of his responsibility.”

The meeting also came as Trump and top military officials face rising questions over the legality of strikes on drug-trafficking boats in the region, which reportedly resulted in more than 80 deaths.

The United States is not officially at war with Venezuela, and lawmakers from both parties said they plan to examine reports that the U.S. conducted a second strike on a suspected drug vessel after not all on board were killed in the first attack.

Independent Maine Senator Angus King told CNN Monday morning: “The law is clear. If, as alleged, a second strike was carried out specifically to kill survivors in the water, this is a full war crime. It is also murder.”