Top Pentagon leaders briefed congressional committee heads on the Trump administration’s expanding campaign of strikes against alleged drug-trafficking boats off South America.
The closed-door session followed a Washington Post report alleging that a Sept. 2 operation included a second strike that killed two survivors attempting to climb back aboard their damaged vessel.
Top Pentagon brass to brief lawmakers on deadly boat strike https://t.co/0eR5RVawuU
— POLITICO (@politico) December 4, 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has defended the mission and said Special Operations Commander Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley made the call.
Lawmakers in both parties are questioning the legality of the follow-on strike, with some Democrats warning it could qualify as a war crime if it deliberately targeted survivors.
Officials in Congress and the Pentagon are increasingly concerned that the Trump administration intends to scapegoat the military officer who directed U.S. forces to kill two survivors of a targeted strike on suspected drug smugglers in Latin America. https://t.co/28OLb478WQ
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) December 2, 2025
Gen. Dan Caine and Bradley arrived on Capitol Hill Thursday to present video of the attack and explain their decisions.
The Sept. 2 strike was the first in a broader campaign that has since destroyed more than 20 boats and killed more than 80 people. The administration maintains the operations are lawful because drug cartels are designated terrorist organizations.
Also read:
TIPP Staff
