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By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's insistence he watched the first U.S. military attack on an alleged drug boat three months ago live has come under fresh scrutiny as lawmakers demand more information about the strikes that have prompted serious legal concerns and kicked off months of controversial operations.
Hegseth, appearing on Fox News shortly after the September 2 strike, announced by President Donald Trump, said: "I watched it live."
When approached for comment, the Department of Defense referred Newsweek to Hegseth's publicly available statements.
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Why It Matters
Hegseth's remarks raise questions about how involved the defense secretary was in the mission that has attracted bipartisan attention and calls for closer congressional oversight, with the exact details of how the first lethal strike in the southern Caribbean played out still murky.
The September 2 mission was the start of the Trump administration's apparent crusade against suspected drug boats in both the southern Caribbean and eastern Pacific. At least 83 people have been killed in more than 20 strikes, according to the administration's own numbers.
The strikes have for months spurred fears the U.S. military operations against these alleged narcotrafficking vessels could violate domestic and international law. Some observers and former officials, including ex-military lawyers, are concerned the strikes could put U.S. military personnel at risk from prosecution further down the line.
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Observers have also increasingly seen the strikes as a way for the administration to pressure, and perhaps topple, Venezuela's leader, Nicolas Maduro. The attacks have come hand-in-hand with a massive military build-up off Venezuela's shores, and Trump has left the door open to land attacks on the South American country.
What To Know
The Washington Post reported last week Admiral Frank Bradley, the now-head of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) had ordered a second strike on the first alleged drug vessel targeted in the southern Caribbean by the U.S. three months ago when an initial strike left two survivors. The paper alleged Hegseth issued a verbal order to kill everyone on board.
Hegseth last week called the report "fake news" and "fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory." President Donald Trump said he would not have wanted a second strike on the vessel and that Hegseth denied ordering the deaths of the two survivors.
Shipwrecked people have specific legal protections and there are concerns the survivors of the initial strike may have been off-limits to attacks.
The White House said on Monday Hegseth had authorized Bradley to carry out the strikes and the admiral "worked well within his authority and the law." Hegseth, in a separate statement, said he entirely supported Bradley and described the admiral as "an American hero, a true professional."
The New York Times reported on Monday Hegseth had ordered a strike that would kill those on the boat and destroy the vessel in advance of the U.S. military carrying out the mission. Citing five anonymous U.S. officials, the NYT reported Hegseth's orders had not specified what to do if the first missile did not destroy the boat or kill all of those in the vessel.
The order was not a response to footage showing at least two survivors from the first strike, according to the newspaper.
President Donald Trump posted footage purportedly showing the strike to his Truth Social on September 2, saying all 11 people on board were killed. The 29-second, edited clip does not appear to show a second strike.
Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the committee, jointly called on Friday for "vigorous oversight" and said the committee would "determine the facts related to these circumstances."
Republican Representative Mike Rogers, who leads the House Armed Services Committee, has pledged in a statement issued alongside the committee's top Democrat, Representative Adam Smith, to carry out "rigorous oversight of the Department of Defense’s military operations in the Caribbean."
The Senate failed last month to impose checks on the administration after lawmakers on both sides of the aisle petitioned for more information on the rationale behind the strikes. The administration has offered little concrete evidence supporting its claims that it has targeted drug boats and has often not specified who exactly was on board.
What People Are Saying
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said of Admiral Bradley on Monday: "I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made—on the September 2 mission and all others since. "
What Happens Next
Bradley is expected to appear at a classified briefing to lawmakers Thursday.
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