The US military launched a missile attack on a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean Sea on 2/9, killing nine people. Two survivors clung to the burning boat. Following orders from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Admiral Mitch Bradley, head of the Special Operations Command (SOCOM), directed a second strike on the boat. This was to ensure the survivors "could not call their accomplices to rescue them and their cargo". The double strike killed the two individuals, and the boat subsequently sank.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on 1/12 that Admiral Bradley "acted legally and correctly" in ordering the second attack on the survivors of the suspected drug boat.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a cabinet meeting at the White House on 2/12. Photo: AFP

These events have intensified controversy over the legality of the anti-drug campaign launched by President Donald Trump's administration in early September. Washington has conducted 21 airstrikes, resulting in over 80 deaths, but has not released evidence confirming the targets were drug traffickers.

The scandal originated from a Washington Post report on 28/11, which claimed Hegseth issued a "kill all" order when the US military conducted the first airstrike of the campaign on 2/9. The defense secretary called this information "fabricated", asserting that all airstrikes on drug boats "complied with the law of armed conflict and were approved by top military and civilian lawyers throughout the chain of command".

Hegseth's denial did not reassure the US Congress, which was already skeptical of the legal basis for the Trump administration's actions. The Senate and House Armed Services Committees immediately announced investigations into the incident to determine all related facts.

According to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, Admiral Bradley will appear before the committee on 4/12. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers announced they would ask Bradley direct operational questions regarding what happened and who said what.

"We will have a complete picture of what did and did not happen", Rogers said.

Democratic senators are calling for Hegseth's dismissal, describing the Pentagon chief as a "war criminal". House Republicans warned that if verified, Hegseth's actions would constitute "serious misconduct".

Legal experts believe the US military's second strike violated both peacetime law and the rules of armed conflict.

"Under no circumstances can killing people clinging to a boat at sea be considered appropriate", Michael Schmitt, a former air force lawyer and professor emeritus at the US Naval War College, told AP.

President Trump claims the US administration is in a legitimate armed conflict with drug gangs. However, Schmitt noted that experts do not agree with this view, as these criminal groups have not engaged in violent actions against the US.

"If not in an armed conflict, the US violated international human rights law", Schmitt continued. "Deadly force is only permissible in cases of an imminent threat to life or risk of serious injury. Neither was the situation then".

Laura Dickinson, a law professor at George Washington University, stated that Defense Secretary Hegseth could be held accountable under the US Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), which applies to members of the armed forces, because he was a former service member.

"In conflict, intentionally killing a protected person, a civilian or someone incapacitated, is a war crime", Dickinson told TIME. "The US War Crimes Act would also apply".

Jennifer Trahan, a professor at the Center for Global Affairs at New York University, noted that if the US is not in a state of war, then all airstrikes are illegal, not just the attack in question.

"Drug trafficking is illegal, and traffickers should be arrested and prosecuted", she said.

US President Donald Trump (left) and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a cabinet meeting at the White House on 8/7. Photo: AFP

Observers consider Hegseth a political liability for President Trump. Hegseth's nomination for defense secretary was controversial from the start, requiring a tie-breaking vote from Vice President JD Vance to secure Senate confirmation in late January.

In March, Hegseth was embroiled in a leak involving a White House Signal chat group, raising concerns about information security. His account reportedly sent details of a plan to strike Houthis in Yemen to a group that included individuals outside the administration. The Pentagon chief faced numerous calls for resignation but survived the scandal due to President Trump's defense.

President Trump stated on 30/11 that the US administration "will look into the matter", adding that he "did not want that to happen, especially the second strike".

"Pete said he didn't order the killing of the two survivors. I completely believe him", Trump stated.

By Nhu Tam (According to AP, Politico, TIME)