WASHINGTON (AP) -- Lawmakers from both parties said Sunday they support congressional reviews of U.S. military strikes against vessels suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, citing a published report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order for all crew members to be killed as part of a Sept. 2 attack.
The lawmakers said they did not know whether last week's Washington Post report was true, and some Republicans were skeptical, but they said attacking survivors of an initial missile strike poses serious legal concerns.
"This rises to the level of a war crime if it's true," said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.
Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, when asked about a follow-up strike aimed at people no longer able to fight, said Congress does not have information that happened. He noted that leaders of the Armed Services Committee in both the House and Senate have opened investigations.
"Obviously, if that occurred, that would be very serious and I agree that that would be an illegal act," Turner said.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump on Sunday evening while flying back to Washington from Florida, where he celebrated Thanksgiving, confirmed that he had recently spoken with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The U.S. administration says the strikes in the Caribbean are aimed at cartels, some of which it claims are controlled by Maduro. Trump also is weighing whether to carry out strikes on the Venezuelan mainland.
Trump declined to comment on details of the call, which was first reported by The New York Times.
"I wouldn't say it went well or badly," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, when asked about the call.
The Venezuelan communications ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the call with Trump.
Turner said there are concerns in Congress about the attacks on vessels that the Trump administration says are transporting drugs, but the allegation regarding the Sept. 2 attack "is completely outside anything that has been discussed with Congress and there is an ongoing investigation."
The comments from lawmakers during news show appearances come as the administration escalates a campaign to combat drug trafficking into the U.S. On Saturday, Trump said the airspace "above and surrounding" Venezuela should be considered as "closed in its entirety," an assertion that raised more questions about the U.S. pressure on Maduro. Maduro's government accused Trump of making a "colonial threat" and seeking to undermine the South American country's sovereignty.
After the Post's report, Hegseth said Friday on X that "fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland."
"Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict -- and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command," Hegseth wrote.
Trump said on Sunday the administration "will look into" the matter but added, "I wouldn't have wanted that -- not a second strike." The president also defended Hegseth.
"Pete said he did not order the death of those two men," Trump said. He added, "And I believe him."
Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and its top Democrat, Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, said in a joint statement late Friday that the committee "will be conducting vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to these circumstances."
That was followed Saturday with the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Republican Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, and ranking Democratic member Washington Rep. Adam Smith issuing a joint statement saying panel was committed to "providing rigorous oversight of Department Defense's military operations Caribbean."
"We take seriously reports follow-on strikes boats alleged ferrying narcotics SOUTHCOM region are taking bipartisan action gather full accounting operation question," Rogers and Smith said referring U.S. Southern Command.
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., asked about Sept. 2 attack said Hegseth deserves chance present side.
"We should get truth. I don't think would foolish enough make decision say kill everybody survivors clear violation law war," Bacon said. "So, very suspicious would done something like because go common sense."
Kaine and Turner appeared on CBS' "Face the Nation," and Bacon was on ABC's "This Week."