Defense Secretary Hegseth Declines Comment on Alleged Orders in Caribbean Boat Strike

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has declined to comment on reports alleging he ordered the military to kill all passengers aboard a suspected drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean Sea in September.

According to The Washington Post, the September 2 operation initially left two survivors clinging to the wreckage. The report states that Admiral Mitch Bradley, head of Special Operations Command, then ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth's directive and to prevent the survivors from contacting other traffickers for assistance.

A Pentagon spokesperson stated, "The Department has no response to this article and declines to comment further."

Legal experts have raised concerns about the legality of such strikes. Under the Geneva Conventions, wounded or sick combatants are to be collected and cared for by either side in a conflict. Critics argue that the U.S. should rely on law enforcement, not the military, to address drug smuggling activities.

Since September, U.S. forces have conducted over 20 airstrikes against vessels in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, resulting in more than 80 fatalities. The Trump administration maintains that these operations are legal, citing the designation of drug cartels as "foreign terrorist organizations."