Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to soldiers at Yokota Air Base, Japan in October.

By Joe Lombardi From Daily Voice

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing mounting bipartisan backlash after a US military operation in the Caribbean killed two stranded survivors in a second, so-called "double-tap strike" on a suspected Venezuelan drug boat.

The incident began with a US strike on a vessel in the Caribbean on Tuesday, Sept. 2, targeting what officials said was a drug trafficking operation.

After the initial attack, two men were left alive in the water. Reports allege Hegseth issued a verbal directive to "kill everyone" aboard, prompting Admiral Frank Bradley to authorize a follow-up strike that killed the survivors.

Military analysts and lawmakers have called the second strike potentially unlawful under international law, since survivors in the water could not pose an imminent threat.

The operation is part of a broader US campaign that has destroyed at least 22 vessels and killed more than 80 people since September.

The White House said on Monday, Dec. 1, that Bradley acted within his authority and the law, but clarified Hegseth authorized multiple strikes, not specifically the killing of survivors.

President Trump distanced himself from the decision, stating he opposed the second strike and that Hegseth told him that he had not issued such an order.

The Pentagon is now under pressure to release full details of the operation and clarify the rules of engagement for future missions.

Lawmakers from both parties, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Republican Senator Roger Wicker, have demanded investigations, full strike tapes, and congressional reviews. 

“Congress needs to see all the evidence and ensure our military follows the law," Wicker said.

Hegseth has dismissed the reports as “fake news” and “fabricated,” insisting all operations comply with US and international law, are approved by military lawyers, and target “narco-terrorists."

“As usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland,” Hegseth said in a social media post. 

He added: "As we’ve said from the beginning, and in every statement, these highly effective strikes are specifically intended to be 'lethal, kinetic strikes' The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people. Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization.

"The Biden administration preferred the kid gloves approach, allowing millions of people — including dangerous cartels and unvetted Afghans — to flood our communities with drugs and violence. The Trump administration has sealed the border and gone on offense against narco-terrorists. Biden coddled terrorists, we kill them."

Critics warn the strikes risk escalating tensions with Venezuela, which is already facing political instability. International law experts have called the second strike “outright murder and a war crime."

In September, Trump signed an executive order to rename the Department of Defense the Department of War, calling the current title “the first sign of wokeness.” The change still requires congressional approval before it can officially take effect.

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