WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended a follow-up strike on an alleged drug-carrying boat in the Caribbean Sea during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. He referred to the situation as the "fog of war," explaining that he did not see any survivors in the water when the second strike was ordered in early September. Hegseth stated, "The thing was on fire," emphasizing the chaotic nature of the operation.

Hegseth admitted he did not remain for the entirety of the mission after the initial strike. He expressed confidence in the decision made by the admiral in charge, asserting that the admiral had "complete authority" to order the second strike. This incident has drawn scrutiny following a report that Hegseth issued a verbal order to "kill everybody" on the boat, which was the first vessel targeted in the Trump administration's counter-drug campaign in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

The U.S. military has conducted over 20 strikes in this campaign, resulting in more than 80 fatalities. Critics have raised concerns about the legality of the second strike, with some legal experts suggesting it may have violated peacetime laws and regulations governing armed conflict. The Pentagon's manual on the laws of armed conflict explicitly states that attacking survivors of a sunken ship is illegal.

President Donald Trump distanced himself from the second strike, stating he was unaware of the details. He said, "I didn’t know anything about people. I wasn’t involved in it," when asked about his support for the action. Hegseth, sitting next to Trump during the meeting, noted that the president has empowered military commanders to make difficult decisions in challenging situations.

Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson confirmed that all strikes have been directed by the president and that the chain of command is functioning properly. He stated, "At the end of the day, the secretary and the president are the ones directing these strikes."

The White House has stated that Navy Vice Adm. Frank "Mitch" Bradley acted within his authority and the law when he ordered the second strike. Hegseth expressed his support for Bradley's decisions on social media. Lawmakers have initiated investigations into the military's actions against suspected drug-smuggling vessels, and Bradley is scheduled to provide a classified briefing to Congress on Thursday.