🔗 Share this article US Navy Commander to Inform Congress as Cross-Party Scrutiny Intensifies Over Boat Strike A senior US Navy officer is scheduled to deliver a confidential briefing to congressional members monitoring the armed forces this week, as investigators probe a US strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea. This event, which allegedly targeted a boat transporting narcotics, allegedly involved a follow-up engagement that eliminated any remaining individuals. White House Defends Actions as Defensive Measures The administration spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, on Monday asserted that the second strike was carried out “in self-defence” and in accordance with regulations pertaining to military engagement. Bipartisan scrutiny has increased over a report that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order in September to strike the boat. Democratic lawmakers have said the allegations, first reported last week, could amount to a violation of international law, and GOP members have also expressed their concerns about the lawfulness of the strike on September 2nd. The Congressional armed services committees have opened inquiries into the recent US armed engagements on boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. “Secretary Hegseth directed the naval commander to execute these military actions,” stated Leavitt. “Adm Bradley acted well within his authority and the legal framework, directing the operation to ensure the boat was neutralized and the threat to the United States was removed.” In her remarks to reporters, Leavitt did not challenge the report that there were survivors after the initial strike. Her explanation came following former President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “would not have approved that – not a second strike” when questioned about the event. Mounting Legislative Concern and Internal Support Monday evening, Hegseth wrote online: “Adm Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a consummate professional, and has my full and complete backing. I support him and the combat decisions he has made – on the September 2 mission and all others since.” A month after the engagement, Bradley was elevated from head of Joint Special Operations Command to commander of USSOCOM. Concern over the government’s armed actions against suspected drug-smuggling vessels has been growing in Congress, but details of this subsequent attack shocked many legislators from across the aisle and generated serious inquiries about the lawfulness of the operations and the overall strategy in the area, particularly toward Venezuela's leader Nicolás Maduro. The congressional members said they did not have confirmation whether last week’s report was true, and some GOP senators were doubtful. Still, they said the alleged attacking of survivors of an initial missile strike posed grave issues and deserved additional investigation. White House and Pentagon Leaders Affirm Stance The White House weighed in after the president on the weekend vigorously supported Hegseth. “Secretary Hegseth said he did not order the death of those individuals,” Trump stated. He continued, “And I believe him.” Leavitt said Hegseth had spoken with members of Congress who may have expressed some concerns about the allegations over the past few days. Gen Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, also spoke over the weekend with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers heading the Senate and House military committees. He restated “his faith in the experienced officers at every echelon”, Caine’s office said in a release. The release further noted that the conversation focused on “discussing the purpose and lawfulness of missions to disrupt illegal smuggling rings which endanger the security and security of the western hemisphere”. Congressional Leaders Respond and Promise Investigation The Senate majority leader, John Thune, on the week's start broadly defended the missions, repeating the administration position that they were necessary to stop the flow of illicit drugs into the US. Thune stated the panels in Congress would look into what happened. “I don’t think you want to draw any judgments or inferences until you have complete information,” he said of the 2 September strike. “We’ll see where they lead.” After the report, Hegseth said on the end of the week that “misleading reporting is producing more false, inflammatory, and derogatory coverage to discredit our remarkable service members working to defend the homeland”. “Our ongoing missions in the Caribbean are lawful under both US and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict – and approved by the best legal advisors, throughout the military hierarchy,” Hegseth wrote. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, called Hegseth a “disgrace” over his reaction to critics. Schumer called for that Hegseth release the footage of the attack and testify under penalty of perjury about what happened. The GOP lawmaker for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the ranking member of the Senate military panel, vowed that his panel’s inquiry would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the ground truth,” he added, noting that the implications of the report were “serious charges”. The September 2nd engagement was part of a sequence carried out by the American armed forces in the Caribbean and Pacific as Trump has ordered the buildup of a fleet of naval vessels near Venezuela, including the biggest US carrier. More than eighty individuals were killed in the strikes.
A senior US Navy officer is scheduled to deliver a confidential briefing to congressional members monitoring the armed forces this week, as investigators probe a US strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea. This event, which allegedly targeted a boat transporting narcotics, allegedly involved a follow-up engagement that eliminated any remaining individuals. White House Defends Actions as Defensive Measures The administration spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, on Monday asserted that the second strike was carried out “in self-defence” and in accordance with regulations pertaining to military engagement. Bipartisan scrutiny has increased over a report that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order in September to strike the boat. Democratic lawmakers have said the allegations, first reported last week, could amount to a violation of international law, and GOP members have also expressed their concerns about the lawfulness of the strike on September 2nd. The Congressional armed services committees have opened inquiries into the recent US armed engagements on boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. “Secretary Hegseth directed the naval commander to execute these military actions,” stated Leavitt. “Adm Bradley acted well within his authority and the legal framework, directing the operation to ensure the boat was neutralized and the threat to the United States was removed.” In her remarks to reporters, Leavitt did not challenge the report that there were survivors after the initial strike. Her explanation came following former President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “would not have approved that – not a second strike” when questioned about the event. Mounting Legislative Concern and Internal Support Monday evening, Hegseth wrote online: “Adm Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a consummate professional, and has my full and complete backing. I support him and the combat decisions he has made – on the September 2 mission and all others since.” A month after the engagement, Bradley was elevated from head of Joint Special Operations Command to commander of USSOCOM. Concern over the government’s armed actions against suspected drug-smuggling vessels has been growing in Congress, but details of this subsequent attack shocked many legislators from across the aisle and generated serious inquiries about the lawfulness of the operations and the overall strategy in the area, particularly toward Venezuela's leader Nicolás Maduro. The congressional members said they did not have confirmation whether last week’s report was true, and some GOP senators were doubtful. Still, they said the alleged attacking of survivors of an initial missile strike posed grave issues and deserved additional investigation. White House and Pentagon Leaders Affirm Stance The White House weighed in after the president on the weekend vigorously supported Hegseth. “Secretary Hegseth said he did not order the death of those individuals,” Trump stated. He continued, “And I believe him.” Leavitt said Hegseth had spoken with members of Congress who may have expressed some concerns about the allegations over the past few days. Gen Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, also spoke over the weekend with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers heading the Senate and House military committees. He restated “his faith in the experienced officers at every echelon”, Caine’s office said in a release. The release further noted that the conversation focused on “discussing the purpose and lawfulness of missions to disrupt illegal smuggling rings which endanger the security and security of the western hemisphere”. Congressional Leaders Respond and Promise Investigation The Senate majority leader, John Thune, on the week's start broadly defended the missions, repeating the administration position that they were necessary to stop the flow of illicit drugs into the US. Thune stated the panels in Congress would look into what happened. “I don’t think you want to draw any judgments or inferences until you have complete information,” he said of the 2 September strike. “We’ll see where they lead.” After the report, Hegseth said on the end of the week that “misleading reporting is producing more false, inflammatory, and derogatory coverage to discredit our remarkable service members working to defend the homeland”. “Our ongoing missions in the Caribbean are lawful under both US and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict – and approved by the best legal advisors, throughout the military hierarchy,” Hegseth wrote. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, called Hegseth a “disgrace” over his reaction to critics. Schumer called for that Hegseth release the footage of the attack and testify under penalty of perjury about what happened. The GOP lawmaker for the state of Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the ranking member of the Senate military panel, vowed that his panel’s inquiry would be “conducted thoroughly and by the book”. “We’ll find out the ground truth,” he added, noting that the implications of the report were “serious charges”. The September 2nd engagement was part of a sequence carried out by the American armed forces in the Caribbean and Pacific as Trump has ordered the buildup of a fleet of naval vessels near Venezuela, including the biggest US carrier. More than eighty individuals were killed in the strikes.