The White House on Monday publicly defended the September 2 U.S. military operation in the Caribbean Sea, stating that a Navy admiral acted “within his authority and the law” when he ordered a second, follow-up strike on an alleged drug-smuggling vessel. This justification comes as the military operation faces increasing bipartisan scrutiny in Congress over the legality and implications of targeting potential survivors.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt offered the defense for the Sept. 2 strike, identifying the officer who ordered the action as Navy Vice Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley.
White House Defense and Congressional Reaction
Leavitt did not dispute the published report that survivors were present after the initial strike but maintained the follow-up strike was necessary.
“Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes,” Leavitt told reporters. “Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law, directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.”
- Hegseth’s Support: Late Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted his unwavering support for the officer, stating: “Admiral Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a true professional, and has my 100% support. I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made — on the September 2 mission and all others since.” Bradley was promoted to commander of U.S. Special Operations Command one month after the strike.
- Trump’s Stance: The White House explanation followed remarks from President Donald Trump a day earlier, who, when asked about the incident, said he “wouldn’t have wanted that — not a second strike,” although he later defended Hegseth, stating he believed the Defense Secretary when he said he did not order the death of the survivors.
Congress Demands Video and Testimony
Concern over the military’s overall strategy of targeting suspected drug-smuggling boats, which has led to over 80 deaths in recent months, has escalated dramatically since the report of the follow-up strike.
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, citing the gravity of the reported attacking of survivors, have launched a formal review:
- Briefing Scheduled: Admiral Bradley is scheduled to provide a classified briefing on Thursday to lawmakers overseeing the military.
- Call for Transparency: Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Jack Reed (top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee) called Hegseth a “national embarrassment” and demanded that he release the video of the strike and testify under oath. Reed stated, “If they’ve done nothing wrong, then that video should exonerate them completely. Why don’t they release it?”
- Congressional Investigation: Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) broadly defended the operations as necessary to stem the flow of narcotics but pledged a full, “by the numbers” investigation to “find out the ground truth.”
Focus on Venezuela
The strikes are tied to the Trump administration’s ordered buildup of warships near Venezuela, which it claims is necessary to combat drug cartels allegedly controlled by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
- Maduro’s Reaction: Speaking in Caracas on Monday, Maduro acknowledged that the aggression has been “psychological terrorism” but affirmed the country is ready to defend itself.
- Venezuelan Investigation: Separately, Venezuela’s National Assembly announced the launch of its own investigation into the lethal strikes, explicitly acknowledging for the first time that Venezuelans have been killed in the U.S. military operation.