US EditionUS military carried out second strike killing survivors on a suspected drug boat that had already been attacked, sources say
The White House maintains the strikes targeted narco-terrorists to stop lethal drugs; over 80 people have died in 20 strikes since early September, officials said.
- On September 2, U.S. forces struck a suspected drug‑carrying vessel in the southern Caribbean, and The Washington Post reported a follow‑on 'double‑tap' attack killed two survivors.
- A Washington Post report said the alleged directive prompted a follow‑on strike to eliminate survivors, and the operation fed into a broader U.S. strike campaign against suspected drug boats with at least 83 deaths.
- The White House said Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump authorized Navy Vice Adm. Frank 'Mitch' Bradley to conduct the strikes and that Bradley acted within his authority, while spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt denied the order to kill survivors and called the follow-up attack self-defense.
- House and Senate Armed Services leaders, including Senator Roger Wicker and Representative Mike Rogers, have opened investigations and pledged vigorous oversight amid legal experts' warnings the strikes could be war crimes.
- U.S. military buildup near Venezuela has accompanied the strikes, including carrier deployments, while policy steps like designating Cartel de los Soles and offering a $50 million reward link the campaign to broader pressure on President Nicolás Maduro.
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119 Articles
Experts Question Trump's Legal Basis for Boat Strikes: 'He Wants to Call It Armed Conflict But Not Follow the Rules of Armed Conflict'
Legal experts are challenging the Trump administration's basis for a series of lethal strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean, warning that the operations may violate both domestic and international law.
U.S. Takes Out More Suspected ‘Narco-Terrorists’ As Hegseth Defends Against ‘War Crime’ Accusations - Real News Now
The Trump administration carried out another deadly strike on a suspected narco-terrorist vessel Thursday, killing four men believed to be smuggling drugs toward the United States. The strike, ordered by War Secretary Pete Hegseth, brings the total number of destroyed drug boats to 23 since September, with at least 87 suspected traffickers eliminated. U.S. Southern Command released unclassified footage of the latest operation, stating that “inte…
Hegseth denies seeing survivors before 2nd strike on Venezuela's alleged drug boat
The 2 September strike, which reportedly left two survivors clinging to a burning vessel before a second missile hit destroyed the boat, is now under scrutiny as lawmakers push for a full accounting of what occurred.
The follow-up attack on survivors of a US raid on a suspected smuggling boat has ignited the discussion about whether the US is committing war crimes.
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