🔗 Share this article US Admiral to Update Congress as Bipartisan Examination Grows Over Vessel Attack A high-ranking US Navy officer is set to deliver a confidential briefing to lawmakers monitoring the armed forces this week, as they examine a US strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea. This event, which reportedly struck a boat transporting drugs, reportedly included a follow-up engagement that eliminated any remaining individuals. Administration Justifies Actions as Defensive Measures The administration spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, on Monday asserted that the follow-on engagement was carried out “in self-defence” and in compliance with laws governing armed conflict. Bipartisan examination has increased over a account that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a spoken command in last month to strike the vessel. Democratic lawmakers have said the allegations, first reported recently, could constitute a war crime, and Republicans have also voiced their concerns about the lawfulness of the attack on 2 September. The Congressional armed services committees have initiated investigations into the recent series of US military strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. “Secretary Hegseth directed Adm [Frank M] Bradley to conduct these military actions,” said Leavitt. “Adm Bradley acted well within his authority and the legal framework, overseeing the operation to guarantee the vessel was destroyed and the threat to the United States was eliminated.” In her comments to reporters, Leavitt did not dispute the account that there were individuals who survived after the first strike. Her justification came after ex-President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “would not have approved that – not a follow-up attack” when asked about the event. Mounting Legislative Unease and Internal Support Monday evening, Hegseth posted: “The Admiral is an American hero, a consummate professional, and has my 100% support. I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made – on the September 2 mission and all others since.” A month following the engagement, Bradley was elevated from commander of JSOC to chief of US Special Operations Command. Concern over the administration’s armed actions against suspected drug-smuggling vessels has been building in Congress, but details of this follow-on strike stunned many legislators from both parties and sparked serious inquiries about the lawfulness of the attacks and the broader policy in the area, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers said they did not know whether the recent news story was true, and some Republicans were doubtful. Nevertheless, they stated the alleged attacking of survivors of an initial rocket attack posed grave issues and deserved additional investigation. Administration and Pentagon Leaders Affirm Stance The White House weighed in after the commander-in-chief on Sunday strongly defended Hegseth. “Pete said he did not order the death of those individuals,” Trump said. He continued, “And I believe him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had spoken with congressional representatives who may have voiced some worries about the reports over the weekend. General Dan Caine, the head of the military's top officers, also communicated over the weekend period with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers leading the Senate and House military committees. He reiterated “his faith in the experienced commanders at every level”, Caine’s spokesperson stated in a release. The statement further noted that the conversation focused on “addressing the intent and legality of missions to interrupt illegal smuggling rings which endanger the safety and security of the Americas”. Congressional Leaders Respond and Pledge Probe The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on the week's start broadly supported the operations, echoing the administration position that they were essential to stem 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 make any judgments or inferences until you have all the facts,” he remarked of the September 2nd strike. “We’ll see where they point.” After the news article, Hegseth wrote on Friday that “misleading reporting is producing more fabricated, provocative, and derogatory reporting to undermine our remarkable service members working to defend the nation”. “Our current operations in the region are lawful under both US and international law, with all actions in accordance with the law of armed conflict – and sanctioned by the best legal advisors, throughout the military hierarchy,” Hegseth stated. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, called Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his response to detractors. Schumer demanded that Hegseth make public the video of the attack and testify under oath about what happened. The Republican senator for Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate armed services committee, pledged that his committee's investigation would be “done by the numbers”. “We’ll discover the facts,” he added, noting that the implications of the allegation were “grave accusations”. The September 2nd engagement was one in a series executed by the US military in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean as Trump has ordered the deployment of a fleet of warships near the Venezuelan coast, including the biggest US carrier. Over eighty individuals were fatally wounded in the series of attacks.
A high-ranking US Navy officer is set to deliver a confidential briefing to lawmakers monitoring the armed forces this week, as they examine a US strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea. This event, which reportedly struck a boat transporting drugs, reportedly included a follow-up engagement that eliminated any remaining individuals. Administration Justifies Actions as Defensive Measures The administration spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, on Monday asserted that the follow-on engagement was carried out “in self-defence” and in compliance with laws governing armed conflict. Bipartisan examination has increased over a account that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a spoken command in last month to strike the vessel. Democratic lawmakers have said the allegations, first reported recently, could constitute a war crime, and Republicans have also voiced their concerns about the lawfulness of the attack on 2 September. The Congressional armed services committees have initiated investigations into the recent series of US military strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. “Secretary Hegseth directed Adm [Frank M] Bradley to conduct these military actions,” said Leavitt. “Adm Bradley acted well within his authority and the legal framework, overseeing the operation to guarantee the vessel was destroyed and the threat to the United States was eliminated.” In her comments to reporters, Leavitt did not dispute the account that there were individuals who survived after the first strike. Her justification came after ex-President Donald Trump a day earlier remarked he “would not have approved that – not a follow-up attack” when asked about the event. Mounting Legislative Unease and Internal Support Monday evening, Hegseth posted: “The Admiral is an American hero, a consummate professional, and has my 100% support. I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made – on the September 2 mission and all others since.” A month following the engagement, Bradley was elevated from commander of JSOC to chief of US Special Operations Command. Concern over the administration’s armed actions against suspected drug-smuggling vessels has been building in Congress, but details of this follow-on strike stunned many legislators from both parties and sparked serious inquiries about the lawfulness of the attacks and the broader policy in the area, particularly toward Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The lawmakers said they did not know whether the recent news story was true, and some Republicans were doubtful. Nevertheless, they stated the alleged attacking of survivors of an initial rocket attack posed grave issues and deserved additional investigation. Administration and Pentagon Leaders Affirm Stance The White House weighed in after the commander-in-chief on Sunday strongly defended Hegseth. “Pete said he did not order the death of those individuals,” Trump said. He continued, “And I believe him.” Leavitt noted Hegseth had spoken with congressional representatives who may have voiced some worries about the reports over the weekend. General Dan Caine, the head of the military's top officers, also communicated over the weekend period with the two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers leading the Senate and House military committees. He reiterated “his faith in the experienced commanders at every level”, Caine’s spokesperson stated in a release. The statement further noted that the conversation focused on “addressing the intent and legality of missions to interrupt illegal smuggling rings which endanger the safety and security of the Americas”. Congressional Leaders Respond and Pledge Probe The top Senate Republican, John Thune, on the week's start broadly supported the operations, echoing the administration position that they were essential to stem 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 make any judgments or inferences until you have all the facts,” he remarked of the September 2nd strike. “We’ll see where they point.” After the news article, Hegseth wrote on Friday that “misleading reporting is producing more fabricated, provocative, and derogatory reporting to undermine our remarkable service members working to defend the nation”. “Our current operations in the region are lawful under both US and international law, with all actions in accordance with the law of armed conflict – and sanctioned by the best legal advisors, throughout the military hierarchy,” Hegseth stated. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, called Hegseth a “national embarrassment” over his response to detractors. Schumer demanded that Hegseth make public the video of the attack and testify under oath about what happened. The Republican senator for Mississippi, Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate armed services committee, pledged that his committee's investigation would be “done by the numbers”. “We’ll discover the facts,” he added, noting that the implications of the allegation were “grave accusations”. The September 2nd engagement was one in a series executed by the US military in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean as Trump has ordered the deployment of a fleet of warships near the Venezuelan coast, including the biggest US carrier. Over eighty individuals were fatally wounded in the series of attacks.