The U.S. military conducted a strike on a small boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday, resulting in four fatalities. This marks the 22nd strike against vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific that the Trump administration has linked to drug trafficking. The latest attack comes after a nearly three-week pause in operations.

According to a social media post from U.S. Southern Command, the death toll from this campaign has now reached at least 87 people. A video released with the announcement shows a small boat moving across the water before it is engulfed in a large explosion, followed by images of the boat in flames and smoke.

The strike coincided with a series of closed-door briefings at the U.S. Capitol, where Admiral Frank "Mitch" Bradley provided testimony as lawmakers began investigating the first strike, which occurred on September 2. Reports indicate that Bradley ordered a follow-up attack that killed survivors, allegedly to meet demands from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

During the briefings, Bradley stated that there was no order to "kill them all" from Hegseth. However, the stark video evidence has raised serious questions among lawmakers. Legal experts have suggested that targeting survivors at sea may violate military warfare laws.

Bradley appeared alongside General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during the classified sessions. Their testimonies came at a critical time as scrutiny of Hegseth's leadership intensifies.

Lawmakers have expressed differing views on the video evidence. Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas claimed he saw survivors attempting to right a boat loaded with drugs destined for the United States. In contrast, Connecticut Representative Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, described the scene as deeply troubling. He noted, "You have two individuals in clear distress, without any means of locomotion, with a destroyed vessel," adding that they were "killed by the United States."

Washington Representative Adam Smith, the leading Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, characterized the survivors as "basically two shirtless people clinging to the bow of a capsized and inoperable boat, drifting in the water — until the missiles come and kill them."

The ongoing investigation and the implications of these military actions continue to raise significant legal and ethical questions regarding the use of force against suspected drug traffickers at sea.