President Donald Trump has stepped in to defend Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after reports emerged that he allegedly ordered a second strike on a suspected Venezuelan drug-running boat when the first attack failed to kill everyone on board.
Both the House and Senate have launched investigations into what has been described as a Sept. 2 double tap strike carried out by U.S. Navy SEALs in the Caribbean. The strike reportedly targeted an 11-member crew accused of drug trafficking.
Trump Defends Hegseth
Despite the growing scrutiny, Trump stood firmly behind his defense secretary when speaking to reporters.
“He said he did not say that, and I believe him 100 percent,” Trump said. The president insisted that he did not approve of a second strike, “I wouldn’t have wanted that – not a second strike.” Hegseth has maintained that all the operations were “lawful under both U.S. and international law.”
Trump again backed Hegseth when asked directly about the allegations on Sunday.
“He said he did not say that, and I believe him 100 percent,” the president reaffirmed. When pressed on whether killing survivors would be legal, Trump responded, “I don’t know that that happened.”
He said Hegseth denied any such order, “Pete said he did not want that he didn’t even know what people were talking about.”
Trump added that he intends to review the matter personally, saying he would “look into it.” “I wouldn’t have wanted that. Not a second strike. The first strike was very lethal. It was fine, and if there were two people around, but Pete said that didn’t happen. I have great confidence.”
US Lawmakers Warn Strike on Venezuelan boat May be War Crime
Several U.S. lawmakers have expressed alarm over the incident. Democratic Senator Mark Kelly said on CNN that the reported operation “seemed” like a war crime.
“Going after survivors in the water; that is clearly not lawful,” he said. “If what has been reported is accurate, I’ve got serious concerns.”
Senator Tim Kaine echoed this view, stating, “This rises to the level of a war crime if it’s true.”
According to reports, Hegseth delivered a verbal direction to “kill everybody” on the boat as the Trump administration began a series of more than a dozen maritime strikes that have resulted in over 80 deaths in the past three months.
What the Report Says Happened on Venezuelan boat on September 2
According to a detailed Washington Post account, the operation unfolded as follows:
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U.S. forces launched a missile at a suspected narco-boat with 11 people on board.
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After the initial strike, two survivors were seen in the water.
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A Special Operations commander overseeing the mission allegedly ordered a second strike to complete Hegseth’s supposed instruction to “kill everybody.”
The strike vaporised the survivors, the report said.
Investigations Underway
Congressional inquiries will now examine whether U.S. forces conducted an unlawful second strike and whether senior officials authorized or encouraged actions that could be considered war crimes.
Hegseth and Trump both continue to deny any wrongdoing, while lawmakers push for clearer answers on what exactly happened during the deadly Caribbean mission.
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