A U.S. naval admiral informed legislators on Thursday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not issue a “kill them all” order. Congress is investigating an attack that resulted in the deaths of two individuals following an initial strike on an alleged drug vessel in waters near Venezuela.
Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley stated he did not receive any directive to show no mercy or exterminate all. Senator Tom Cotton, head of the Senate intelligence committee, mentioned that Bradley was provided with a detailed order during a closed briefing in Washington, D.C.
Lawmakers leading the House and Senate intelligence committees left with differing accounts of the actions of the two victims before their deaths. Senator Cotton observed them attempting to overturn a drug-laden boat heading for the U.S. to continue the conflict.
He noted a time gap between the initial and subsequent attacks, which involved four missile strikes. Cotton expressed satisfaction that the U.S. military was engaging cartels directly.
However, Democrats present at the briefing and who viewed the video footage of the deaths raised doubts about the administration’s justification for the incident. Representative Jim Himes termed it one of the most troubling events he had witnessed in his public service career.
Representative Adam Smith criticized the order to destroy the drugs and kill the 11 individuals on the boat. He emphasized that the survivors were stranded on a capsized boat, drifting in the water.
Most legislators declined to comment as they left the briefings. Admiral Bradley and General Dan Caine briefed lawmakers at the Capitol amid the ongoing congressional probe into Hegseth’s handling of the operation near Venezuela.
Lawmakers are seeking a comprehensive review of the strikes following reports that Admiral Bradley ordered an attack on two survivors to comply with Hegseth’s alleged directive to eliminate everyone. Legal experts are questioning the legality of the strikes and treating suspected drug traffickers as combatants without congressional approval.
Military officials, aware of survivors after the first strike, proceeded with a subsequent strike to sink the vessel, citing the need to eliminate the threat.
Democrats have demanded the release of the full video of the September 2 attack and all related written records. Republicans have pledged a thorough investigation but have not publicly requested the documents.
President Donald Trump has supported Hegseth, who defended his actions, citing the uncertainties of war’s aftermath. Hegseth claims Admiral Bradley had the authority and made the correct decision.
Critics view the military operation as a potential effort to influence a regime change in Venezuela. Hegseth has faced separate scrutiny over his use of the Signal messaging app to share sensitive information about military operations against Yemen’s Houthi militants, risking the safety of service members.