A US Navy admiral testified that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth did not give the order to 'kill them all' during a controversial second US military strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean, multiple lawmakers have said.
The affirmations by Democratic and Republican lawmakers were made after viewing footage of the 2 September double-strike incident and hearing from Adm Frank Bradley in closed-door hearings. The briefing before members of the House of Representatives and later the Senate came as questions continued around the legality of military force used against suspected drug boats.
The White House has said Adm Bradley was responsible for the strikes and that he acted within the law.
Adm Bradley 'did the right thing', said Democratic congressman Jim Himes, the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, after he heard from the admiral and viewed the video. 'But what I saw in that room was one of the most troubling things I've seen in my time in public service,' Himes said. 'Yes, they were carrying drugs. They were not in the position to continue their mission in any way.'
After the briefing, Representative Adam Smith, the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, released a joint statement with Himes calling for the video to be released publicly. 'The briefing left us with more questions than answers, and Congress must continue to investigate this matter and conduct oversight,' they said.
Republican Senator Tom Cotton, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Adm Bradley and Hegseth 'did exactly what we would expect them to do'. 'I saw two survivors trying to flip a boat loaded with drugs bound to the United States back over so they could stay in the fight,' Cotton said. Republican House Representative Rick Crawford also defended the strikes and said there was 'no doubt in my mind' that they were done in a way that was professional.
The revelation of a second strike when the first left survivors has raised new questions over the legality of the administration's deadly ongoing campaign against boats due to what the rules of conflict dictate about targeting wounded combatants.
US President Donald Trump has stated he has 'no problem' with video of the second strike being made public. Footage of the first strike has already been released, showing two survivors trying to climb back onto the boat before the vessel was hit again.
Adm Bradley was expected to inform high-ranking US lawmakers that the survivors were legitimate targets because their boat was still presumed to contain drugs.
The incident raises serious doubts about the legality of such actions under international law. Experts suggest that targeting survivors could be seen as a violation of the Geneva Conventions, which protect wounded participants from lethal targeting.
The US military's campaign has been criticized for expanding its presence in the Caribbean, with officials arguing these operations have led to a significant reduction in drug trafficking, a claim that remains unproven.
