Daijiworld Media Network – Washington
Washington, Dec 1: Both the US House of Representatives and the Senate have launched inquiries into a reported second strike on an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean, which is said to have killed survivors of an earlier attack carried out in September.
According to NBC News, the Defense Department conducted two strikes on the Venezuelan-origin boat on September 2. The first strike reportedly left at least two survivors, while the second strike allegedly killed the remaining occupants. The Pentagon had earlier stated that the boat carried 11 people.
These two strikes were the first in a series of more than 20 US operations on suspected narco-boats in the Caribbean, which the Trump administration claims were ferrying drugs to the US. The subsequent raids have reportedly resulted in over 80 deaths.
The Washington Post first reported the second strike, claiming it was ordered by a Joint Special Operations commander following an instruction from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to “kill everybody.” NBC News, however, has not independently verified this claim.
Legal experts have raised concerns that if the second strike targeted incapacitated survivors, it could amount to a war crime. Senator Mark Kelly said on Sunday that if the reports were accurate, the action “seems to” fit that definition. “We hold ourselves to a very high standard,” he added.
President Donald Trump told reporters he was unaware of any second strike and said Hegseth denied issuing such an order. “We’ll look into it,” Trump said, adding that he “wouldn’t have wanted” a follow-up strike.
Both the Senate and House Armed Services Committees have initiated oversight inquiries. Senators Roger Wicker and Jack Reed said they have directed questions to the Pentagon. In a similar move, Representatives Mike Rogers and Adam Smith said they are seeking a full accounting of the operation.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell dismissed the allegations, calling the narrative “completely false,” while Hegseth wrote on X that the strikes were intended to be “lethal, kinetic strikes” to destroy narco-boats and kill traffickers associated with designated terrorist organisations.
The Trump administration has been intensifying its pressure on Venezuela, with Trump signalling potential military action and declaring Venezuelan airspace “closed.” He also recently stated that the US would not seek congressional approval for operations targeting drug traffickers, remarking, “We’re going to kill them.”