Summary
The White House stated that a U.S. Navy admiral, not Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, ordered a strike on a suspected drug boat near Venezuela in September. Congress plans to investigate the event as concerns arise about possible war law violations. The administration defends the strike's legality, saying it occurred in international waters and followed military law.
Key Facts
- A Navy admiral, not Defense Secretary Hegseth, directed the strike on a boat near Venezuela.
- The strike aimed to destroy the boat and eliminate threats to the U.S.
- Some Congress members worry the strike might have violated laws of war.
- The Defense Department's manual considers targeting shipwrecked survivors illegal.
- Secretary Hegseth has denied ordering a second attack to kill survivors.
- Congress's Senate and House Armed Services Committees are probing the allegations.
- The White House says the strike was legal under the law of armed conflict.
- The administration has been briefing Congress and allowing them to review related documents.
