Trending:Putin India visitRussia Ukraine peace dealTrump physical testUS-Venezuela tensionWord of the YearKantara controversy'Kill everybody': Did US Defence Secretary Hegseth's order to re-strike Venezuelan boat constitute a war crime?FP Explainers • December 2, 2025, 11:19:18 ISTWhatsapp Facebook TwitterA September 2 operation involved two US strikes on a suspected narcotics vessel, part of a wider campaign that has produced at least 19 to 21 maritime attacks since September, killing more than 70 people. Legal experts note that international law forbids firing on shipwrecked individuals, and congressional committees are now conducting bipartisan investigationsAdvertisementSubscribe Join Us+ Follow us On GoogleChoose Firstpost on GoogleUS Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth gestures as he speaks aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, on the day of US President Donald Trump's visit to the US Navy's Yokosuka base in Yokosuka, Japan, October 28, 2025. File Image/ReutersA United States military operation targeting a suspected Venezuelan drug-smuggling vessel was conducted in early September. The mission, carried out by American naval forces, involved an initial precision strike that destroyed a boat believed to be ferrying narcotics, followed by a second strike that allegedly targeted survivors still in the water. That follow-up attack is now resulting in inquiries from lawmakers of both major parties which are questioning the legality of lethal force at sea. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADAlthough the Trump administration has defended the overall counter-narcotics campaign as necessary to protect US interests, experts have raised alarms about whether the actions undertaken — especially the alleged strike on men who survived the initial blast — may constitute violations of both peacetime and wartime law. More from Explainers White House defends second strike on Venezuelan boat as legality questioned Hegseth slams ‘fake news’ reports on Caribbean strikes, accuses Biden of ‘coddling terrorists’The issue has become even more charged when allegations were reported that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a direct instruction to eliminate all individuals on the vessel, an assertion he denies. How has the White House reacted?The administration’s public defence of the chain of command began on Monday, when White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt addressed questions about the September 2 operation involving US Admiral Frank Bradley. Responding to media reports alleging that Hegseth had pushed for a policy of leaving no survivors, she clarified that Bradley had explicit approval to execute the strike. Leavitt stated, “Secretary Hegseth authorised Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes.
