Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Today, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Ranking Member Jim Himes (CT-04) and Representative Joaquin Castro (TX-20) wrote to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard regarding public reports that at least three countries have limited, or intend to limit, intelligence sharing with the United States.

The President of Colombia, a country with which the United States has long partnered on counternarcotics efforts, publicly cited the illegal boat strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific as the cause of their decision to cut off security cooperation. Himes and Castro have argued that these strikes are not only ineffective and performative, but will cause lasting damage to regional partnerships that may prove detrimental to our long-term counternarcotics efforts.

“The U.S. system of alliances around the globe, which extend into the intelligence sphere, are a critical part of our national security, and they act as a force multiplier that neither China nor Russia can match,” the Members wrote. “To the extent that targeted killings of alleged drug traffickers or other policies reduce the willingness of our partners to work closely with our national security agencies, the United States will be less safe as a result.”

The letter continued: “Accordingly, we request that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, along with any other affected intelligence community elements, swiftly update the Committee on the accuracy of these reports, the expected impact to U.S. national security and intelligence equities, and the intelligence community’s plan to mitigate any damage.”

Earlier this week, Congressman Himes joined other national security leaders in introducing a War Powers Resolution to block the Trump Administration from continuing to use U.S. Armed Forces to conduct lethal military action in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific.

A copy of the letter is available here.