Admiral Frank "Mitch" Bradley, head of US Special Operations Command (SOCOM), reported to the US Congress on 4/12/2024 regarding an investigation into allegations that he ordered follow-up missile launches to kill survivors on a drug boat off the coast of Venezuela in early September 2024.

The White House on 1/12/2024 confirmed that US forces continued to launch missiles at the drug boat after two survivors were spotted following the initial attack. This double strike killed a total of 11 people on the boat. According to the White House, Admiral Bradley ordered the follow-up missile launches with the approval of Defense Secretary Hegseth.

This information drew attention, as US military rules of engagement state that "ordering fire on a shipwreck is illegal" and could constitute a war crime. However, Admiral Bradley assured lawmakers that Secretary Hegseth did not issue a "kill all" order during the double strike.

"Bradley made it clear that he received no such order, like 'take no prisoners' or 'kill them all'," Senator Tom Cotton, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, stated after the meeting.

Admiral Frank Bradley, head of Special Operations Command (SOCOM). *Photo: US Navy*

In addition to hearing Admiral Bradley's report, Democratic and Republican lawmakers also viewed a video of the double strike. This video has not been publicly released by the US military.

While Cotton, a Republican, defended the attack, Democratic lawmakers found the incident "deeply troubling", questioning the Trump administration's rationale for conducting the double strike.

"The order given at the time was essentially: destroy the drugs, kill the 11 people on the boat", Representative Adam Smith, a Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, stated, adding that he is requesting an expanded investigation.

After viewing the video, leading members of the House and Senate national security committees offered differing descriptions of the reactions and actions of the two survivors on the drug boat before they died from the US follow-up strike.

Representative Cotton said he saw the two individuals "attempting to right the drug-laden boat heading towards the US so they could continue to resist". He added that the second attack occurred "minutes" after the first, with a total of 4 missiles launched.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Singapore on 31/5/2025. *Photo: AP*

However, Representative Jim Himes, a Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, described them as "two individuals in distress, unable to move independently, clinging to the destroyed boat" and subsequently "killed by US forces".

Representative Smith stated that the two individuals did not signal for help or make any communicative gestures, though lawmakers were informed that they appeared to "wave their hands" at one point during the strike.

Democrats are demanding the release of the full video of the strike, along with documents detailing orders and all related directives from Secretary Hegseth. The US Department of Defense did not disclose any written orders or verbal directives during the congressional briefing.

Duc Trung (According to AP, CNN)