Allies of former President Donald Trump pushed back Sunday against reports claiming Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered follow-up strikes on survivors of attacks targeting suspected drug-trafficking boats off the coast of Venezuela. The allegations, first reported last week, suggested Hegseth authorized a second strike in September intended to eliminate any survivors from a prior operation, raising questions about potential violations of the laws of war as U.S. military activity in the region increases.
Hegseth himself dismissed the claims as “fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory” on social media. Republican lawmakers, including Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, expressed skepticism, emphasizing that the Navy and Coast Guard have rescued and returned survivors from other operations. Rep. Don Bacon, a retired Air Force general, said ordering attacks on survivors would defy common sense and constitute a clear breach of legal and ethical standards. Still, Bacon noted that if the reports are verified, legal consequences could follow.
Congressional oversight figures also weighed in. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers and Ranking Member Adam Smith issued a joint statement committing to a “rigorous oversight” of U.S. military operations in the Caribbean, citing the need to gather a complete accounting of the alleged strikes. A briefing scheduled on related military operations was abruptly canceled, and the admiral responsible for the South American and Caribbean region resigned in October. Attorney General Pam Bondi declined to comment on a legal memo justifying the attacks but reiterated that Venezuelan drug traffickers must exercise extreme caution.
Some lawmakers voiced strong concerns about the potential legality of such strikes. Sen. Mark Kelly, a former Navy captain, said if the reported follow-up attacks on survivors occurred, they “seem to” constitute a war crime, underscoring the high standards expected of U.S. military personnel. Kelly and other Democratic veterans recently issued guidance reminding service members not to follow illegal orders, a move currently under review by the military. The Defense Department’s Law of War Manual explicitly cites targeting shipwrecked survivors as a clearly illegal order, which service members are required to refuse.