US EditionWhite House says admiral ordered follow-on strike on alleged drug boat, insists attack was lawful
The White House says the strike targeted narco-terrorists and was lawful; over 80 killed in related strikes, with congressional investigations underway.
- On September 2, the White House confirmed an admiral ordered a second strike in international waters that killed two survivors, as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated.
- After new reporting about Hegseth's alleged order, The Washington Post first reported Friday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had told forces to `kill everybody`, forcing the White House to scramble and respond.
- Admiral Frank M. "Mitch" Bradley was serving as JSOC commander and later promoted to USSOCOM, while Karoline Leavitt defended his authority to destroy the drug boat and eliminate the narco terrorist threat.
- Legal experts warn that the Pentagon's Law of War Manual requires protecting wounded or shipwrecked persons and says targeting them could be a war crime under Title 18 of the U.S. code.
- Congressional members from both Senate and House Armed Services Committees are pledging vigorous oversight as Pete Hegseth defended the strikes on Friday and President Trump said Sunday he would not have wanted a second strike.
413 Articles
413 Articles
After the fierce criticism of a deadly second attack on an alleged smuggler's boat, the White House refers to the responsible admiral. Defence Minister Hegseth entrusted him with the attack.
Slog AM: Pete Hegseth Kills Them All, Starbucks Pays $38.9 Million Labor Settlement, AI Will Deny Washington Medicaid Claims Next Year
The Stranger's morning news roundup by Vivian McCall “Kill Them All”: That was the order Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave during the first US strike on a boat in the Caribbean, two sources with direct knowledge of the operation told the Washington Post. To comply with that order, the Special Operations commander ordered a second strike to kill the two survivors. The White House is Trying to Save Hegseth’s Skin. Press Secretary Karoline Leavit…
Trump Administration confirms it carried out two strikes on an alleged drug boat off the coast of Venezuela
WASHINGTON (NBC, KYMA) - New fallout Tuesday morning after the Trump Administration confirmed it struck an alleged drug boat twice off the coast of Venezuela while saying the order did not come from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Now, bipartisan lawmakers are launching hearings to press for more information as some question if the administration's actions were legal. President Donald Trump huddled in the Oval Office with his national security t…
A double strike in September seems to violate the Pentagon's manual on the law of war.
During the controversial attack on a suspected drug boat from Venezuela, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the vessel to be destroyed, but it was an admiral who ultimately ordered a second bombardment, killing two people. The White House has issued this statement as the debate escalates in the US. Critics are calling it a possible war crime.
Wars on Drugs are Never Wars on Drugs
News emerged over the Thanksgiving holiday that, in September, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth may have ordered a second strike on two survivors of a boat alleged to be carrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea. The initial strike was part of escalating tensions against what the Trump administration claims are Venezuelan cartels smuggling illicit drugs into the United States. A second strike to kill any survivors of an initial attack, accordin…
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