Spec ops chief ordered deadly Caribbean strike ‘in self-defense’ with Hegseth’s sign-off, White House says
In a recent statement, the White House confirmed its involvement in a controversial military operation targeting alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean, which has drawn both scrutiny and calls for oversight from lawmakers. The operation, which took place on September 2, reportedly involved two strikes against a boat suspected of trafficking narcotics. According to a report by the Washington Post, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth allegedly ordered the first strike with the intent to kill everyone on board, leading to a second strike aimed at eliminating any surviving crew members. While the Pentagon has pushed back against this narrative, insisting it is false, the White House has defended the actions taken as lawful and justified under the principles of self-defense in international waters.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that while Hegseth authorized the strikes, it was Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley, then commander of Joint Special Operations Command, who directed the operations. Leavitt emphasized that the strikes were executed to neutralize a threat to the United States, asserting that the military’s actions were within legal bounds. Despite this, the conflicting accounts between the White House and the Pentagon have sparked bipartisan concern among lawmakers, prompting leaders from both parties to call for increased oversight of military operations in the Caribbean. Representatives Mike Rogers and Adam Smith, who lead the House Armed Services Committee, stated their commitment to rigorously investigate these military actions, while Senator Jeanne Shaheen has demanded immediate answers from Hegseth regarding the operations.
The Trump administration’s aggressive stance on drug trafficking has led to over 20 military strikes against suspected drug boats in Latin American waters, as part of a broader strategy to combat the influx of narcotics into the U.S. This operation reflects ongoing tensions and complexities in U.S. foreign policy, particularly regarding Venezuela, which is expected to be a focal point in an upcoming meeting involving President Trump. As the situation evolves, the calls for accountability and clarity surrounding these military actions highlight the delicate balance between national security interests and adherence to international law.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBxO-z-3cE4
The
White House
confirmed and defended conducting a second strike against alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean in September, amid the Trump administration’s crusade targeting the influx of drugs into the U.S.
The White House’s statement comes after the Washington Post reported Friday that Secretary of Defense
Pete Hegseth
verbally ordered that a Sept. 2 attack kill everyone on board the alleged drug boat, drawing scrutiny from lawmakers who are requesting additional oversight into the strikes. The Post reported that a second strike was conducted to take out the remaining survivors on the boat.
Although
the Pentagon
pushed back against the report, White House press secretary
Karoline Leavitt
did not deny that a second strike occurred and told reporters Monday that the strike Sept. 2 was conducted “in self-defense” in international waters “in accordance with the law of armed conflict.”
HEGSETH SAYS US CONDUCTED ANOTHER STRIKE IN EASTERN PACIFIC TARGETING ALLEGED NARCO-TRAFFICKERS
The White House said Monday that Hegseth authorized the second strike, but the head of U.S. Special Operations Command, Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley, ordered and directed it. At the time of the strike, Bradley was serving as the commander of Joint Special Operations Command, which falls under U.S. Special Operations Command.
“On September 2nd, Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes,” Leavitt said. “Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law, directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.”
When asked to confirm that Bradley was the one who
ordered the second strike
, Leavitt said that he was “well within his authority to do so,” but declined to disclose whether the second strike was ordered because there were survivors remaining from the first strike.
Leavitt also disputed that Hegseth ever gave an initial order to ensure that everyone on board was killed, when asked specifically about Hegseth’s instructions.
“I would reject that the secretary of War ever said that,” Leavitt said. “However, the president has made it quite clear that if narco-terrorists, again, are trafficking illegal drugs toward the United States, he has the authority to kill them.”
US MILITARY KILLS 2 SUSPECTED NARCO-TERRORISTS IN 16TH EASTERN PACIFIC STRIKE, HEGSETH SAYS
The White House’s statements on the matter don’t completely align with the Pentagon’s. On Friday, the Pentagon denied the Post’s reporting in its entirety.
“We told the Washington Post that this entire narrative was false yesterday,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a post on social media Friday. “These people just fabricate anonymously sourced stories out of whole cloth. Fake News is the enemy of the people.”
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
TRUMP SAYS HE BELIEVES HEGSETH ‘100%’ ON VENEZUELAN DRUG BOAT STRIKE DENIAL AMID ALLEGATIONS
Meanwhile, the report has prompted
lawmakers on both sides of the aisle
to ask additional questions about the operations, and press for additional oversight.
“This committee is committed to providing rigorous oversight of the Department of Defense’s military operations in the Caribbean,” Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Adam Smith, D-Wash., who lead the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement on Saturday. “We take seriously the reports of follow-on strikes on boats alleged to be ferrying narcotics in the SOUTHCOM region and are taking bipartisan action to gather a full accounting of the operation in question.”
Spokespeople for the committee did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital regarding the nature of these
additional oversight efforts
.
Additionally, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said Monday that she is calling for an investigation into the matter as well, and said that Hegseth “owes answers to the American people immediately.”
The Trump administration has carried out more than 20 strikes against alleged drug boats in
Latin American waters
, and has bolstered its
military presence in the Caribbean
to align with Trump’s goal to crack down on the influx of drugs into the U.S.
The White House also confirmed Monday that
Trump is slated to hold a meeting
on Monday evening to discuss future actions concerning Venezuela.
