🔗 Share this article US Admiral to Inform Congress as Bipartisan Scrutiny Grows Over Vessel Attack A high-ranking American naval officer is scheduled to provide a confidential update to lawmakers overseeing the military this week, as they probe a US strike on a boat in the Caribbean waters. This event, which allegedly targeted a boat carrying drugs, reportedly involved a follow-up strike that eliminated any survivors. Administration Defends Strikes as Self-Defense The administration spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, on Monday asserted that the follow-on engagement was conducted “in self-defence” and in compliance with regulations pertaining to armed conflict. Cross-party examination has mounted over a account that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order in September to attack the boat. Democratic lawmakers have said the allegations, first reported last week, could amount to a war crime, and GOP members have also expressed their apprehensions about the lawfulness of the strike on 2 September. The Congressional armed services committees have opened investigations into the recent US military strikes on boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. “Secretary Hegseth authorised Adm [Frank M] Bradley to execute these kinetic strikes,” stated Leavitt. “Adm Bradley acted well within his mandate and the law, directing the operation to ensure the boat was neutralized and the danger to the United States was eliminated.” In her comments to the press, Leavitt did not dispute the account that there were survivors after the initial strike. Her justification came after ex-President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “would not have approved that – not a second strike” when asked about the incident. Growing Congressional Concern and Internal Backing Late on Monday, Hegseth posted: “The Admiral is an American hero, a true professional, and has my full and complete backing. I stand by him and the battlefield judgments he has made – on the September 2nd operation and all others since.” A thirty days following the strike, Bradley was promoted from head of JSOC to commander of USSOCOM. Anxiety over the government’s armed actions against alleged drug-smuggling vessels has been building in Congress, but details of this subsequent attack shocked many legislators from across the aisle and generated serious inquiries about the lawfulness of the operations and the broader policy in the area, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The congressional members said they did not have confirmation whether last week’s report was accurate, and some Republicans were doubtful. Nevertheless, they said the reported attacking of survivors of an initial rocket attack posed serious concerns and deserved further scrutiny. Administration and Military Officials Affirm Position The White House weighed in after the president on Sunday vigorously supported Hegseth. “Secretary Hegseth said he did not order the death of those individuals,” Trump said. He added, “And I believe him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had spoken with members of Congress who may have expressed some worries about the reports over the weekend. General Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, also communicated over the weekend with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers leading the Senate and House armed services committees. He reiterated “his trust and confidence in the seasoned commanders at every echelon”, Caine’s spokesperson said in a statement. The release further noted that the call centered on “addressing the intent and lawfulness of operations to disrupt illegal smuggling rings which endanger the security and security of the western hemisphere”. Congressional Leaders React and Pledge Investigation The Senate majority leader, John Thune, on Monday broadly supported the operations, echoing the administration position that they were necessary to stem the influx of illicit drugs into the US. Thune said the committees in Congress would investigate what happened. “I don’t think you want to make any conclusions or deductions until you have complete information,” he said of the 2 September strike. “We’ll see where they lead.” After the report, Hegseth wrote on the end of the week that “fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our remarkable service members fighting to protect the homeland”. “Our ongoing missions in the region are legal under both US and international law, with every step in compliance with the rules of war – and sanctioned by the best military and civilian lawyers, throughout the military hierarchy,” Hegseth stated. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, called Hegseth a “disgrace” over his response to detractors. Schumer demanded that Hegseth make public the footage of the strike and appear under oath about what transpired. The GOP lawmaker for Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate military panel, pledged that his committee's investigation would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the facts,” he said, stating that the implications of the allegation were “serious charges”. The 2 September engagement was part of a sequence carried out by the American armed forces in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean as Trump has directed the deployment of a fleet of warships near Venezuela, including the largest US aircraft carrier. More than eighty individuals were killed in the series of attacks.
A high-ranking American naval officer is scheduled to provide a confidential update to lawmakers overseeing the military this week, as they probe a US strike on a boat in the Caribbean waters. This event, which allegedly targeted a boat carrying drugs, reportedly involved a follow-up strike that eliminated any survivors. Administration Defends Strikes as Self-Defense The administration spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, on Monday asserted that the follow-on engagement was conducted “in self-defence” and in compliance with regulations pertaining to armed conflict. Cross-party examination has mounted over a account that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order in September to attack the boat. Democratic lawmakers have said the allegations, first reported last week, could amount to a war crime, and GOP members have also expressed their apprehensions about the lawfulness of the strike on 2 September. The Congressional armed services committees have opened investigations into the recent US military strikes on boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. “Secretary Hegseth authorised Adm [Frank M] Bradley to execute these kinetic strikes,” stated Leavitt. “Adm Bradley acted well within his mandate and the law, directing the operation to ensure the boat was neutralized and the danger to the United States was eliminated.” In her comments to the press, Leavitt did not dispute the account that there were survivors after the initial strike. Her justification came after ex-President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “would not have approved that – not a second strike” when asked about the incident. Growing Congressional Concern and Internal Backing Late on Monday, Hegseth posted: “The Admiral is an American hero, a true professional, and has my full and complete backing. I stand by him and the battlefield judgments he has made – on the September 2nd operation and all others since.” A thirty days following the strike, Bradley was promoted from head of JSOC to commander of USSOCOM. Anxiety over the government’s armed actions against alleged drug-smuggling vessels has been building in Congress, but details of this subsequent attack shocked many legislators from across the aisle and generated serious inquiries about the lawfulness of the operations and the broader policy in the area, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The congressional members said they did not have confirmation whether last week’s report was accurate, and some Republicans were doubtful. Nevertheless, they said the reported attacking of survivors of an initial rocket attack posed serious concerns and deserved further scrutiny. Administration and Military Officials Affirm Position The White House weighed in after the president on Sunday vigorously supported Hegseth. “Secretary Hegseth said he did not order the death of those individuals,” Trump said. He added, “And I believe him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had spoken with members of Congress who may have expressed some worries about the reports over the weekend. General Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, also communicated over the weekend with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers leading the Senate and House armed services committees. He reiterated “his trust and confidence in the seasoned commanders at every echelon”, Caine’s spokesperson said in a statement. The release further noted that the call centered on “addressing the intent and lawfulness of operations to disrupt illegal smuggling rings which endanger the security and security of the western hemisphere”. Congressional Leaders React and Pledge Investigation The Senate majority leader, John Thune, on Monday broadly supported the operations, echoing the administration position that they were necessary to stem the influx of illicit drugs into the US. Thune said the committees in Congress would investigate what happened. “I don’t think you want to make any conclusions or deductions until you have complete information,” he said of the 2 September strike. “We’ll see where they lead.” After the report, Hegseth wrote on the end of the week that “fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our remarkable service members fighting to protect the homeland”. “Our ongoing missions in the region are legal under both US and international law, with every step in compliance with the rules of war – and sanctioned by the best military and civilian lawyers, throughout the military hierarchy,” Hegseth stated. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, called Hegseth a “disgrace” over his response to detractors. Schumer demanded that Hegseth make public the footage of the strike and appear under oath about what transpired. The GOP lawmaker for Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate military panel, pledged that his committee's investigation would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the facts,” he said, stating that the implications of the allegation were “serious charges”. The 2 September engagement was part of a sequence carried out by the American armed forces in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean as Trump has directed the deployment of a fleet of warships near Venezuela, including the largest US aircraft carrier. More than eighty individuals were killed in the series of attacks.