On Thursday, U.S. Southern Command announced a military strike against a small boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, marking a continuation of operations that had been on pause for nearly three weeks. This strike brings the total to 22 military operations in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean aimed at combating drug trafficking, as highlighted during the Trump administration. The recent strike resulted in four casualties, increasing the overall death toll of this campaign to at least 87 individuals.
A video released alongside the announcement captured the moment the boat was struck, showcasing a large explosion that engulfed the vessel in flames and smoke after it had been seen moving on the water. This strike coincided with Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley’s closed-door classified briefings at the U.S. Capitol, where lawmakers initiated an investigation into the military's very first strike conducted on September 2.
During these classified sessions, it was reported that Adm. Bradley ordered a follow-up attack that targeted survivors, claiming compliance with directives from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. While Bradley asserted there was no explicit "kill them all" mandate from Hegseth, the stark imagery from the attacks left lawmakers with lingering concerns regarding the ethical and legal ramifications of such actions. Legal experts have raised alarms, suggesting that targeting survivors at sea could violate the laws of military warfare.
Bradley attended these briefings alongside Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His testimony provided critical insights during a tumultuous period for Hegseth's leadership, yet it failed to clarify the legal grounds for President Donald Trump’s aggressive campaign against suspected drug smugglers. Consequently, lawmakers walked away with mixed analyses of the video evidence presented during the classified sessions.
Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas reported seeing survivors attempting to flip a boat filled with drugs, suggesting they posed a continued threat. In contrast, Connecticut Representative Jim Himes, the leading Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, described the scene as "one of the most troubling" he had encountered in his public service career. He recounted witnessing two individuals in distress with no means of escape, highlighting that they were killed by the U.S. military.
Meanwhile, Washington Representative Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, characterized the survivors as two individuals clinging to the bow of a destroyed vessel. He indicated that they were ultimately killed by missiles fired from U.S. military assets.
The stark contrast in lawmakers' accounts underscores deep divisions over the justification and ethics of military operations targeting small boats in international waters. As the investigations unfold, the growing scrutiny on military tactics pertaining to drug interdiction remains front and center in congressional discourse.
