Buckle up, folks -- Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) just dropped a legal bombshell on President Donald Trump’s bold Caribbean drug boat strikes.

On NBC’s Meet the Press, Paul slammed Trump’s military actions against suspected drug-running boats as a risky overstep, lacking both Congressional approval and hard proof of guilt, as Breitbart reports.

This isn’t mere political theater; it’s a clash over America’s core values and executive limits.

Rand Paul defends legal traditions

During Sunday’s Meet the Press, Paul pulled no punches as host Kristen Welker noted over 20 deaths from six separate strikes in the Caribbean.

He called out the policy of destroying boats without identifying who’s aboard or showing evidence, saying it trashes America’s time-honored maritime rules.

Since when did we ditch due process for a wild-west “blast first” approach, especially outside a declared war?

Questioning threat to U.S. soil

Paul highlighted that these speed boats operate about 2,000 miles from U.S. shores, likely ferrying goods to nearby spots like Trinidad or Tobago.

Claiming they’re a direct danger to America, he argued, needs solid proof -- something the administration hasn’t coughed up yet.

Isn’t it a stretch to unleash deadly force on a guess, particularly so far from our own backyard?

Coast Guard data sounds alarm

Digging deeper, Paul cited Coast Guard stats revealing that 25% of boarded ships have no drugs, hinting at the tragic risk of killing innocents with a blanket strike policy.

“No, they go against all of our tradition,” Paul stated on Meet the Press. “When you kill someone if you’re not in war, and not in a declared war you really need to know someone’s name, at least.”

“You have to accuse them of something and you have to present evidence,” he added. “All of these people have been blown up without us knowing their name and without evidence of a crime.”

War or peace: Congress must decide

Paul pressed further, warning that this policy blurs the line between war and peace, a boundary only Congress can cross with an official vote.

“The president shouldn’t do this by himself,” he insisted on Meet the Press, stressing that targeting every boat near Venezuela without debate could spiral into conflict.

While some progressive voices cheer unchecked power, it’s a relief to hear a conservative demand oversight -- shouldn’t Congress weigh in when American principles and human lives are on the line?