Pete Hegseth (File photo)
The US military reportedly carried out a second strike on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean on September 2 to kill survivors.Defence secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly instructed the military before the operation to ensure no one survived. “The order was to kill everybody,” a source told Washington Post.
The September strike became the first in a series of US attacks on suspected drug boats in the region. The first strike reportedly disabled the vessel and caused several deaths. When the military assessed that some crew members were still alive, a second strike was launched. All 11 people on board were killed, and the boat was sunk.Briefing materials given to the White House said that the “double-tap,” or follow-up strike, was meant to sink the boat and clear a navigation hazard for other vessels, not to target survivors, according to someone who saw the report.
Officials have admitted they do not always know who is on board before launching strikes. This has alarmed lawmakers. “I have been alarmed by the number of vessels that this administration has taken out without a single consultation of Congress,” Democratic Rep Madeleine Dean told CNN this week.Pentagon has defended the actions, saying they comply with US and international law. The administration claims the boats carry individuals linked to drug cartels posing an imminent threat. But legal experts argue these groups are not combatants and should be treated as criminals, not enemy fighters.In a social media post on Friday, Hegseth again defended the strikes on suspected drug boats. “Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both US and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command,” he said.
