(MENAFN) Thirteen Democratic senators in the Senate urged the Trump administration on Monday to declassify and make public the Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel’s written opinion concerning the US military’s recent operations against alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.

In a correspondence addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the senators highlighted the significance of openness regarding the legal reasoning behind the employment of lethal force.

"Few decisions are more consequential for a democracy than the use of lethal force," the lawmakers, all of whom serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee, noted in the letter.

"We therefore believe that the declassification and public release of this important document would enhance transparency in the use of deadly force by our Nation’s military and is necessary to ensure Congress and the American people are fully informed of the legal justification supporting these strikes," they continued.

To date, the US military has executed 21 operations targeting suspected drug-smuggling ships, which have resulted in the deaths of at least 83 individuals the administration has labeled as “narco-terrorists."

On Monday, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that US President Donald Trump has been “very satisfied” with the recent military actions.

"You can expect to see those strikes continue," Leavitt informed reporters.

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