The White House on Monday defended a U.S. admiral’s decision to launch multiple strikes on an alleged Venezuelan drug-smuggling vessel in September, insisting the actions were authorized by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and conducted within the bounds of international law. Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Admiral Frank Bradley acted under Hegseth’s directive to neutralize the threat, noting the operation occurred in international waters and was justified as self-defense. President Donald Trump, however, distanced himself from a reported second strike targeting survivors, saying he would not have approved it and that Hegseth denied issuing such an order.
The Washington Post earlier reported that a second strike was ordered to kill two survivors from the initial attack, raising serious legal and ethical concerns. International humanitarian law prohibits attacks on shipwrecked or incapacitated individuals, and critics argue the operations do not meet the threshold of armed conflict required to justify lethal force. “It would be murder outside of armed conflict,” said George Washington University law professor Laura Dickinson, while a group of former military lawyers branded the order “patently illegal” and warned that personnel who carried it out could face war crimes charges. Despite this, Hegseth publicly backed Bradley, calling him “an American hero” and offering him “100% support.”
The strikes are part of a wider U.S. military campaign, which has conducted at least 19 attacks on suspected drug vessels since September, killing more than 70 people as Washington intensifies pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Trump has hinted at more aggressive options, including potential military intervention and covert CIA operations, while declaring Venezuelan airspace “closed in its entirety.” The U.S. continues to accuse Maduro of involvement in drug trafficking—claims he denies—amid reports that Washington is weighing strategies that could include attempts to remove him from power.
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