Name: Congress demands probe into strikes on alleged drug boats
Uploaded: 2025-12-02T02:48:43.535Z
Duration: 3 min 57 s
Description: Lawmakers have questioned the second strike, warning it could violate international law.

Lawmakers have questioned the second strike, warning it could violate international law.

Washington

Congressional leaders from both parties are demanding investigations into recent U.S. military strikes on alleged drug boats in the Southern Caribbean. The White House confirmed that a second strike was ordered by Navy Admiral Bradley, not Secretary of Defense Pete Hexeth, as initially reported.

Both the Senate and House Armed Services Committees have pledged rigorous, bipartisan oversight of the operation. Some lawmakers have raised concerns about the legality of secondary strikes, particularly regarding potential harm to survivors, and are seeking clarification from the Department of Defense.

Congress demands probe into strikes on alleged drug boats

Democrats and Republicans calling for greater scrutiny over those strikes on alleged drug boats in the Southern Caribbean. The Washington Post reports saying U.S. forces conducted a second strike on a destroyed vessel to comply with a Hexeth order to leave no survivors. That of course Pete Hexeth, the Secretary of Defense. Scripps News Congressional Correspondent Nate Reed is live for us on Capitol Hill. Nate, we learned some new developments during the White House press briefing a little bit ago. That there was in fact a second strike that was confirmed by the White House. But it wasn't Pete Hexeth himself who ordered it. It was a Navy Admiral. What are you hearing from Congress as they get ready to return back to Washington this evening? Yeah, to touch on that, we did hear also from Carolyn Leavitt that over the weekend that the administration spoke with some of the skeptical Republicans, some of the Republicans who've been speaking out on this one. And to be clear, there were two congressional committees, the Senate and House Armed Services Committee, which both released statements effectively saying that they're going to probe this. And again, this is a statement not just from Democrats who are frequently skeptical and critical of Pete Hexeth, one calling on him to resign in the wake of those strikes, but also Republicans in those committees making clear that they want to get to the bottom of this as well. More specifically, the Republican chairman of both of those committees. I want to start with the Senate Armed Services Committee. They put out a statement saying in part that the committee wanted to direct inquiries to the Department of Defense and they'll be conducting vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to these circumstances. That's from Senator Roger Wicker, the Republican chairman of that committee, and Senator Jack Reed, the ranking member of the top Democrat in that committee. Similar situation over in the House of Representatives where they say that the committee is going to conduct rigorous oversight of the Department of Defense's military operations in the Caribbean. They also make clear that they are taking, quote, bipartisan action to gather a full accounting of the operation in question. That statement from Representative Mike Rogers, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and Representative Adam Smith, the Democratic ranking member. I wanted to play what Carolyn Leavitt had to say in the briefing, confirming apparently for the first time the fact that there was a second strike on the survivors of that boat in the Caribbean. Take a listen. Admiral Bradley was the one who gave that order for a second strike. And he was well within his authority to do so. Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority in the law. He directed the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat of narco-terrorists to the United States was completely eliminated. So was the initial order from Secretary Hagseth, everyone be killed, and did that come from President Trump? I saw that quoted in a Washington Post story. I would reject that the Secretary of War ever said that. However, the president has made it quite clear that if narco-terrorists, again, are trafficking illegal drugs towards the United States, he has the authority to kill them. And again, Carolyn Leavitt announcing that in the White House briefer room. Secretary Hagseth in the past had said in a statement on X that he complied with international law and furthermore that there's a rigorous chain of command and legal review for all of these actions taken by the Pentagon. He didn't specifically deny the fact that there were those secondary strikes, but we obviously are now learning more that those secondary strikes did occur. Again, a lot of questions about how Democrats and some Republicans up here on Capitol Hill will react now that the White House has confirmed that. Again, a lot of questions and some Democrats were saying that this could potentially be a war crime if the U.S. did go through with those secondary strikes on people who were effectively clinging to the wreckage. All right, I imagine this is going to be a major storyline developing this week that you will be tracking for us. Our congressional correspondent Nate Reid up on Capitol Hill. Nate, thank you.

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