Across the American political divide, lawmakers have quietly agreed on one thing: that a report of killing people who had already been struck and could no longer fight would not be a question of policy but of law. A Washington Post account says a Sept. 2 strike on a suspected drug boat was followed by an order, attributed to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, that everyone aboard be killed. Hegseth calls the report fabricated, and the truth of it remains unknown, held for now in the hands of armed services committees in both chambers. It arrives as Washington widens its campaign against cartels a
White House Denies Report of 'Second Strike' on Alleged Cartel Boats; Lawmakers Call for Review
Two men aboard a suspected drug boat were reportedly targeted in a follow-on strike after an initial missile attack, though the allegation remains unverified.
"I wouldn't have wanted that — not a second strike."
Across the American political divide, lawmakers have quietly agreed on one thing: that a report of killing people who had already been struck and could no longer fight would not be a question of policy but of law. A Washington Post account says a Sept. 2 strike on a suspected drug boat was followed by an order, attributed to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, that everyone aboard be killed. Hegseth calls the report fabricated, and the truth of it remains unknown, held for now in the hands of armed services committees in both chambers. It arrives as Washington widens its campaign against cartels and presses harder on Venezuela, so the question of what happened on one day in September is also a question about how far the country's use of force is allowed to reach.
On Sunday, lawmakers from both major U.S. parties went on television to back congressional reviews of the military strikes the Trump administration has ordered against vessels suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. The trigger was a Washington Post report, published the week before, alleging that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth verbally ordered that all crew members be killed in a Sept. 2 attack.
The lawmakers were careful about what they did not know. None could say whether the account was true, and some Republicans were openly skeptical. Still, they agreed that attacking survivors of an initial missile strike raises grave legal questions. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia was the bluntest: if true, he said, it would rise to the level of a war crime.
Hegseth has rejected the story, calling it fake news and insisting that current operations are lawful and have been approved by military and civilian lawyers. Trump said the administration would look into it, saying he would not have wanted a second strike, and that Hegseth had told him he did not order the deaths of the two men reportedly targeted. That allegation remains unverified.
Republican Representative Mike Turner of Ohio said Congress has no information that such a follow-up strike took place, but that if it did, it would be serious and illegal. The leaders of the armed services committees in both chambers have opened investigations, and the bipartisan effort is moving to gather a full accounting of the operation under U.S. Southern Command.
The debate unfolds as the administration escalates its campaign. Trump has declared the airspace over and around Venezuela closed, a move Caracas calls a colonial threat, and he is weighing strikes on the mainland. He also confirmed a recent call with President Nicolás Maduro, offering no details. The committees will now determine what, if anything, happened on Sept. 2.
On Sunday, lawmakers from both U.S. parties appeared on news shows to say they back congressional reviews of the military strikes Donald Trump has ordered against vessels suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean. What prompted them was a Washington Post report, published last week, that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a verbal order that all crew members be killed in a Sept. 2 attack.
The lawmakers were careful about what they did not know. They said they could not say whether the Post's account was true, and some Republicans were openly skeptical. But they agreed that attacking survivors of an initial missile strike raises serious legal questions. Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia put it most bluntly: if the report is true, he said, it rises to the level of a war crime.
Hegseth has rejected the story. On Friday he wrote on X that fake news was delivering more fabricated, inflammatory and derogatory reporting to discredit the warriors protecting the homeland. He also wrote that current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under U.S. and international law, comply with the law of armed conflict, and have been approved by military and civilian lawyers up and down the chain of command.
Trump, speaking Sunday evening, said the administration will look into the matter. "I wouldn't have wanted that — not a second strike," he said. He also defended his defence secretary: Hegseth told him he did not order the death of those two men, Trump said, and he believes him. The reference to two men points to the people reportedly targeted in the follow-on strike after the first missile hit; that allegation has not been verified.
On the Republican side, Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio said Congress has no information that such a follow-up strike aimed at people no longer able to fight took place. If it did, he said, it would be very serious and an illegal act. He noted that the leaders of the armed services committees in both the House and Senate have opened investigations, and that the Sept. 2 allegation is completely outside anything discussed with Congress. Turner added that there are broader concerns in Congress about the attacks on vessels the administration says are carrying drugs.
Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska said Hegseth deserves a chance to present his side and that the goal should be getting to the truth. He said he doubts Hegseth would be foolish enough to order everyone killed, including survivors, because that would clearly violate the law of war, and that it would go against common sense.
The oversight effort is bipartisan. Late Friday, Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, who chairs the Senate armed services committee, and Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, its top Democrat, said the committee would conduct vigorous oversight to determine the facts. On Saturday, House armed services chair Mike Rogers of Alabama and ranking Democrat Adam Smith of Washington said they take the reports of follow-on strikes seriously and are taking bipartisan action to gather a full accounting of the operation, which falls under U.S. Southern Command.
The debate comes as the administration escalates its campaign against drug trafficking. On Saturday, Trump said the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered closed in its entirety. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's government called that a colonial threat and an attempt to undermine the country's sovereignty. The administration says the boat strikes target cartels, some of which it claims Maduro controls, and Trump is weighing strikes on the Venezuelan mainland.
On Sunday, Trump also confirmed he had recently spoken with Maduro, a call first reported by the New York Times. He declined to give details, telling reporters aboard Air Force One only that he wouldn't say it went well or badly. Venezuela's communications ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The committee investigations will now determine what, if anything, happened on Sept. 2.
Citazioni salienti
This rises to the level of a war crime if it's true.— Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.
Pete said he did not order the death of those two men, and I believe him.— President Donald Trump
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Politics & Governance