Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth struck a defiant tone Tuesday, telling reporters during a Cabinet meeting that the military has "only just begun" sinking "narco-terrorists" to "the bottom of the ocean."
The big picture: The Trump administration has rallied around Hegseth following a report that the military in September conducted a second strike on an alleged drug vessel near Venezuela to kill any survivors, which legal experts warn could violate the laws of war.
- The White House said Hegseth authorized a Navy admiral to conduct the strikes, which the administration argues was within his authority and the bounds of the law.
Driving the news: "We've only just begun striking narco-boats and putting narco-terrorists at the bottom of the ocean because they've been poisoning the American people," Hegseth said from the president's side.
- But "it's hard to find boats to strike right now," he said to laughter in the room, adding that "deterrence has to matter — not arrest and hand over and then do it again."
State of play: The strikes have killed more than 80 people in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
- The Washington Post reported last week that Hegseth had given a verbal directive to kill everyone on a boat suspected of carrying drugs, leading Adm. Frank M. Bradley to order a second strike. Hegseth denies the report, but lawmakers have vowed vigorous bipartisan oversight.
- The New York Times subsequently reported that Hegseth ordered a lethal strike ahead of the Sept. 2 attack but did not specifically address what would happen if a first strike didn't sink the boat and kill those aboard.
Between the lines: The Defense Department's Law of War Manual uses shooting shipwrecked survivors as an example of an illegal order that service members are obligated to refuse.
- The manual also states that those "who have been incapacitated by wounds, sickness, or shipwreck are in a helpless state, and it would be dishonorable and inhumane to make them the object of attack."
What they're saying: "Admiral Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a true professional, and has my 100% support," Hegseth wrote in a Monday social media post. "I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made — on the September 2 mission and all others since."
Go deeper: Trump allies dismiss reported attacks on Venezuelan boat strike survivors
