The White House defended a US admiral’s decision to carry out multiple strikes on a suspected Venezuelan drug-smuggling boat in September, stating that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had authorised the action. The strikes, however, have faced criticism over the legality of targeting survivors. The Washington Post reported that a second strike was ordered to kill two survivors from the initial attack, allegedly following Hegseth’s instructions to eliminate everyone on board. President Donald Trump, speaking on Sunday, said he would not have approved a second strike and claimed that Hegseth denied issuing such an order.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated that Hegseth authorised Admiral Frank Bradley to conduct the strikes on Sept. 2. “Secretary Hegseth authorised Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes. Admiral Bradley acted fully within his authority and the law to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States eliminated,” she said.

Leavitt added that the strikes were conducted in self-defense, occurred in international waters, and complied with the law of armed conflict. She noted that the administration has designated the targeted drug traffickers as foreign terrorist organisations. Since September, the US military has launched at least 19 strikes against suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean and along Latin America’s Pacific coast, reportedly killing at least 76 people. Critics have questioned the legality of these actions, and lawmakers from both parties have promised to investigate.

International humanitarian law prohibits attacks on incapacitated combatants, and the Defence Department’s Law of War Manual states that shipwrecked individuals cannot be intentionally targeted and must receive medical care unless they pose a threat. George Washington University law professor Laura Dickinson said most experts do not consider the boat strikes part of armed conflict, meaning lethal force would only be justified as a last resort. She warned that killing survivors outside an armed conflict could constitute murder or, in wartime, a war crime.

The JAGs Working Group, a group of former military lawyers, called the order “patently illegal,” asserting that service members must disobey such orders, and anyone following them could face prosecution for war crimes. On social media, Hegseth defended Bradley as “an American hero,” expressing full support for his combat decisions during the Sept. 2 mission and subsequent operations.

Trump met with senior advisers to discuss pressure tactics against Venezuela. US options reportedly include efforts to remove President Nicolas Maduro, whom the US considers illegitimate. Trump previously suggested that Venezuelan airspace should be considered “completely closed,” sparking confusion in Caracas.

The administration has been exploring ways to counter what it describes as Maduro’s involvement in supplying illegal drugs to the US, which Maduro denies. Reports indicate that options under consideration include a potential regime change, with US military forces prepared for further operations following months of strikes. Trump has also authorised covert CIA actions in Venezuela.