On Tuesday, December 2, 2025, during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended a controversial follow-up strike on an alleged drug-carrying boat in the Caribbean Sea that took place in early September. Hegseth described the chaotic scenario as the "fog of war," explaining that he didn't witness any survivors in the water after the vessel "exploded in fire and smoke." He emphasized that the conditions were treacherous and obscured visibility, indicating the difficulties of assessing the aftermath.
Hegseth confirmed that he had left the mission area after the initial strike and claimed that the admiral leading the operation had the authority to order the subsequent attack. This secondary strike has drawn significant scrutiny, particularly following reports suggesting that Hegseth had issued a verbal order to "kill everybody" on the boat during the Trump administration's counterdrug campaign, which has resulted in over 20 strikes and more than 80 fatalities during its course.
Lawmakers have initiated investigations into the legality of the actions taken during the operation. Legal experts have pointed out that the second strike appears to violate peacetime laws and the regulations governing armed conflict, with the Pentagon’s own military manual categorically prohibiting attacks on survivors of a sunk vessel. Such orders, the manual states, would be deemed clearly illegal.
President Donald Trump distanced himself from the secondary strike, stating that he was not aware of the details and had not received much information, relying primarily on Hegseth for updates. Trump remarked, "I didn’t know anything about people. I wasn’t involved in it," reflecting a separation of responsibility from the actions taken during the military mission.
Hegseth, sitting beside Trump during the Cabinet meeting, praised the president for empowering military commanders to make difficult decisions, likening their actions to those necessary to protect American interests. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson reiterated that all strikes conducted under this campaign were "presidentially directed" and followed the appropriate chain of command. Wilson affirmed that both the Secretary of Defense and the president play crucial roles in directing these military operations.
The Trump administration has indicated that the admiral overseeing the operation made the decision to follow through with the second strike independently, with Trump later praising him as an "extraordinary person." Trump asserted his desire to target these vessels decisively, stating, "I want those boats taken out, and if we have to, we will attack on land also, just like we attack on sea."
In light of the unfolding situation, the White House declared that Navy Vice Admiral Frank "Mitch" Bradley acted "within his authority and the law" when he authorized the second strike. Hegseth expressed public support for Bradley's combat decisions on social media. Lawmakers are anticipated to receive a classified briefing from Bradley regarding the incident on Thursday, as investigations continue into the nature and legality of the striking operations.
