Karoline Leavitt Outright Denies Hegseth Ordered Second Drug Boat Strike — And Reveals Who Did

Jennifer Bowers Bahney Dec 1st, 2025, 2:18 pm

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed Monday that it was not Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who gave the controversial second-strike order on a Venezuelan vessel in September — before revealing who did.

Hegseth has been under fire from a bipartisan group of lawmakers questioning whether the second strike on survivors of the first strike constituted a war crime .

Leavitt read a statement when asked to clarify about the order:

President Trump and Secretary Hegseth have made it clear that presidentially-designated narco terrorist groups are subject to lethal targeting in accordance with the laws of war. With respect to the s

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