White House says admiral ordered follow-on strike on alleged drug boat, insists attack was lawful

The White House stated that a Navy admiral acted lawfully when ordering a follow-on strike on an alleged drug boat in September, aiming to eliminate a threat to the United States. This justification comes amid bipartisan scrutiny from lawmakers who are concerned about reports of a second strike killing survivors. While not disputing the existence of survivors, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt asserted that Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct the kinetic strikes, ensuring the boat's destruction. Lawmakers, including Senator Tim Kaine, have raised serious legal concerns, with some calling it a potential war crime if true, while others await full facts. President Trump has defended Secretary Hegseth, stating he believes Hegseth did not order the death of survivors. Both the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Senate Majority Leader John Thune have expressed confidence in the legality and necessity of these operations to combat drug trafficking. Secretary Hegseth himself has denied the "fake news" reports, affirming that current operations comply with U.S. and international law. Meanwhile, Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro described U.S. pressure as "psychological terrorism," and Venezuela's National Assembly has launched its own investigation into the lethal U.S. strikes, marking the first official acknowledgment of Venezuelan deaths in the operation.