What happened at the second US strike?
Asked 2 days ago
Answer
The second US strike targeted a Venezuelan drug boat after the initial attack left survivors clinging to the wreck. The follow-up strike, ordered by Admiral Bradley, killed the remaining survivors. This action has sparked bipartisan congressional investigations and accusations of a potential war crime, as attacking helpless survivors is prohibited under the law of war. Officials have denied intent to kill survivors, claiming self-defense, but legal experts and former officials remain critical.
Now Playing
Trump defends controversial boat strikes, attacks Somali immigrants
- Trump and Hegseth shifted blame for a follow-up boat strike to Admiral Bradley 4s
- Legal experts question the legality of the strike on survivors 37s
- Trump made inflammatory comments about Somali immigrants and Ilhan Omar 1m 51s
- Ilhan Omar responded to Trump's remarks on social media 2m 16s
- U.S. official says ISIS plans to target Somali nationals in Minneapolis and St. Paul 2m 21s
References
Secretary Hegseth defends the strikes as lawful but distances himself from the second strike, stating he did not witness survivors and was informed only after leaving the live feed. Admiral Bradley made the decision to sink the boat.
The naval admiral who ordered the strikes will brief members of Congress; the operation has been called a potential war crime by multiple members. Lawmakers seek confirmation on whether survivors were killed in the second strike.
After the initial strike, two survivors clung to the wreck; the second strike killed all survivors. The White House confirmed two strikes but denied the intent was to kill survivors, stating the action was in self-defense.
After two survivors remained, the special operations commander reportedly ordered a second strike to comply with instructions, resulting in the deaths of the two men in the water. Lawmakers are investigating whether this constitutes a war crime.