The White House on Monday defended a U.S. admiral’s decision to launch multiple strikes on a suspected Venezuelan drug-smuggling vessel in September, insisting the operation was authorized and lawful despite mounting concerns that survivors were deliberately targeted.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had authorized Admiral Frank Bradley to carry out the Sept. 2 strikes, which killed those on board and destroyed the vessel in international waters.
“Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law,” she said, calling the operation an act of self-defense against “narco-terrorists.”
Her remarks came after The Washington Post reported allegations that a second strike was ordered specifically to kill two surviving crew members, raising questions about potential violations of international humanitarian law.
President Donald Trump distanced himself from the decision on Sunday, saying he “would not have wanted” a second strike. Hegseth has denied ordering survivors to be killed.
Why It Matters
The U.S. military has conducted at least 19 strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels across the Caribbean and Pacific since September, killing more than 76 people.
Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress now want investigations into whether the operations violate the law of armed conflict or amount to extrajudicial killings.
International humanitarian law explicitly protects shipwrecked and incapacitated individuals, prohibiting lethal force unless they pose an immediate threat.
Legal Concerns
Several legal scholars say the strikes likely do not qualify as armed conflict, meaning lethal force would only be justified as a last resort.
“It would be murder outside of armed conflict,” said law professor Laura Dickinson. Even in wartime, deliberately killing survivors “would likely be a war crime.”
A group of former military lawyers, the JAGs Working Group, called the alleged order “patently illegal,” arguing service members have a duty to reject unlawful commands and that those who comply should face prosecution.
Hegseth defended Bradley on X, calling him “an American hero” and saying he has his “100% support.”
Broader U.S. Pressure on Venezuela
The controversy comes as Trump considers a tougher approach to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
He has hinted at options ranging from closing Venezuelan airspace to possible U.S. military intervention, and has authorized covert CIA activities in the country, according to Reuters.
Trump confirmed speaking with Maduro last weekend but offered no details.
U.S. officials accuse Maduro of playing a central role in drug trafficking an allegation he denies.
With information from Reuters.
