Top Trump administration officials briefed a small group of congressional leaders Wednesday on the growing military campaign to destroy alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the waters off South America, providing one of the first high-level glimpses into the legal rationale and strategy behind the strikes. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers who oversee national security issues for roughly an hour in a secure facility in the Capitol. Republicans emerged either staying silent or expressing confidence in President Donald Trump's campaign, which has killed at least 66 people in 16 known strikes in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.