Who Approved the Controversial Second Strike on Venezuelan Boat? Hegseth or Admiral Bradley? The Trump administration is under intense scrutiny following reports of a second U.S. military strike on a suspected drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean, which killed two survivors after an initial attack. The incident, part of Operation Southern Spear launched in September, has sparked debates over legality and accountability, with questions centering on whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth or Admiral Frank Bradley bears responsibility for the follow-up action. Timeline of the September 2 Incident On September 2, U.S. forces targeted a vessel believed to be carrying narcotics, destroying it and killing nine people on board. Two individuals survived, holding onto debris. According to sources cited by The Washington Post, Hegseth issued a verbal directive interpreted as an order to eliminate all threats, prompting Bradley—the commander of U.S. Special Operations—to authorize the second strike. The broader operation has resulted in over 80 deaths and more than 20 vessels targeted across the Caribbean and Pacific, as part of efforts to curb drug flows into the U.S. Responses from Key Figures Hegseth dismissed the reports as "fake news" on social media, insisting the strikes complied with the law of armed conflict and were vetted by military and civilian legal experts. He defended the actions as necessary to combat "narco-terrorists" linked to groups like the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which the administration designated a terrorist organization earlier this year. In contrast, President Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One on Sunday, distanced himself from the decision, saying he "wouldn’t have wanted" a second strike and that Hegseth assured him he did not directly order the deaths. Trump added that his team would review the matter. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, however, backed Hegseth, stating the strikes were conducted in self-defense in international waters and aligned with legal standards. She clarified that Hegseth authorized Bradley to execute "kinetic strikes" as needed, and the admiral acted within his authority to neutralize the threat fully. Congressional Pushback and Legal Concerns Bipartisan criticism has mounted, with the Republican-led Senate Armed Services Committee vowing "vigorous oversight" and demanding records from the Defense Department. The House Armed Services Committee is also seeking a detailed briefing on the operation. Legal experts, including Rachel VanLandingham from Southwestern Law School, have labeled the second strike a potential war crime, arguing it violated protections for shipwrecked individuals under international law unless they posed an active threat. "Clinging to wreckage doesn’t qualify as combat," she noted, calling it an extrajudicial execution. The administration ties the strikes to broader accusations against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the so-called Cartel de los Soles—a term for alleged government-linked corruption rather than a formal cartel. However, U.S. intelligence and the Drug Enforcement Agency have questioned direct ties between Maduro and major drug networks, with other countries identified as primary sources. As investigations proceed, the episode highlights tensions within the administration and raises questions about the rules of engagement in anti-drug operations.