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US Lawmakers Demand Answers Over Controversial Boat Strikes in Caribbean
US lawmakers from both parties are calling for investigations into military strikes on suspected Venezuelan drug-smuggling boats, following reports that a second attack was ordered to eliminate survivors of an initial strike. The allegations, first published by The Washington Post, suggest Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed forces to "kill everybody" aboard a vessel on September 2, prompting a follow-up strike that left no survivors.
Bipartisan Oversight Pledged Amid Legal Concerns
The Republican-led Senate Armed Services Committee announced Friday it would conduct "vigorous oversight" into the strikes, which have killed over 80 people since early September. Committee Chair Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI) stated they had directed inquiries to the Pentagon to "determine the facts related to these circumstances." The House Armed Services Committee similarly vowed bipartisan action to examine the operation.
Lawmakers expressed alarm over the legal implications. "This rises to the level of a war crime if it's true," Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) told CBS Face the Nation. Republican Representative Mike Turner, a former Intelligence Committee chair, called the alleged follow-up strike "very serious" and "an illegal act" if confirmed, though he noted Congress lacked independent verification of the report.
Hegseth Denies Allegations as 'Fake News'; Trump Voices Support
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed the report as "fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory" in a post on X, asserting the strikes were "lawful under both US and international law." He claimed all targets were affiliated with designated terrorist organizations. President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, defended Hegseth, stating, "He said he did not say that. And I believe him 100%." Trump added the administration would "look into" the matter but distanced himself from the tactic: "I wouldn't have wanted that-not a second strike."
Venezuela Condemns Strikes, Accuses US of 'Destabilization'
Venezuela's National Assembly condemned the attacks and pledged a "rigorous and thorough investigation" into the allegations. Caracas has repeatedly accused Washington of using military operations in the Caribbean to destabilize the region and undermine President Nicolás Maduro's government. The US, which is not a signatory to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, maintains its actions comply with international norms governing interdiction in high-seas drug trafficking cases.
"Force can be used to stop a boat, but generally this should be non-lethal measures."
Prof. Luke Moffett, Queens University Belfast, to BBC Verify
Expanded US Military Presence Fuels Regional Tensions
The strikes are part of a broader US anti-narcotics operation in the Caribbean, where the Pentagon has ramped up patrols and lethal engagements against vessels suspected of smuggling cocaine to the US. Critics argue the operations risk escalating tensions with Venezuela, which has no formal diplomatic relations with Washington. The US justifies the strikes as self-defense, citing the threat posed by drug trafficking networks linked to armed groups.
Key Questions Remain
As oversight efforts unfold, central questions include:
- Whether Hegseth issued a direct order to target survivors, as alleged;
- The legal basis for lethal force against vessels in international waters;
- Potential violations of the laws of armed conflict, given the survivors' reported inability to pose an immediate threat;
- The role of congressional authorization in the expanded Caribbean operations.
Committees have not specified timelines for their reviews, but the Pentagon is expected to brief lawmakers in closed sessions this week.
