US strikes on suspected drug boats have people asking, 'What's a war crime?' Let's Get the Facts

The U.S. military continues its operations against suspected "narco" vessels moving through the coastal waters of Latin America.

But a September strike near Venezuela is now at the center of growing scrutiny — raising a question by many members of the public and lawmakers on both sides: Could the attack be considered a war crime?

The debate intensified after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth , Navy Admiral Frank Bradley , and several members of Congress received a briefing on the incident.

In September, U.S. forces targeted a boat suspected of drug trafficking. After the initial missile strike, a second missile was launched — killing individuals who survived the first explosion.

That second strike is what has raised alarm among some lawmakers, legal scholars and members of the public