When President Donald Trump and Protection officers revealed on Sept. 2 that the U.S. army killed 11 alleged drug smugglers on a ship within the Caribbean Sea, they touted it as a hit of their warfare in opposition to South American cartels.
Their preliminary feedback have been met with scrutiny because of the lack of particulars they supplied. Extra questions arose months later after it was reported that survivors from the assault have been killed in a subsequent strike. The White Home later confirmed on Monday that there was multiple strike on the boat.
PHOTO: President Trump introduced on his social media platform that he ordered U.S. army forces to conduct “a kinetic strike in opposition to positively recognized Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists within the SOUTHCOM space of duty.”
@realDonaldTrump/Reality Social
Trump first announced the strike on his social media web site as a “kinetic strike in opposition to positively recognized Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists within the SOUTHCOM space of duty.”
The put up included a video of the strike that confirmed just one hit.
Trump alleged that the boat was below the management of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Maduro denied the allegations and criticized the U.S. for the assault.
Trump stated a day later {that a} “large” quantity of medication was on the boat, however supplied little element.
“It was large quantities of medication coming into our nation to kill lots of people. And, everyone absolutely understands that truth. You see it, you see the baggage of medication all around the boat, and so they have been hit,” Trump advised reporters on the White Home on Sept. 3. “After they watch that tape, they’ll say, ‘Let’s not do that.'”
Pete Hegseth speaks throughout an announcement within the Oval Workplace of the White Home in Washington, DC, Sept. 2, 2025.
Al Drago/Bloomberg through Getty Photos
That very same day, Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth additionally touted the strike throughout a “Fox & Mates” interview and refuted a Maduro spokesperson’s suggestion that the video was AI-generated.
“That was positively not synthetic intelligence. I watched it stay,” he stated. “We knew precisely who was in that boat. We knew precisely what they have been doing, and we knew precisely who they represented.”
The administration would go on to report 20 extra strikes in opposition to boats within the Caribbean and japanese Pacific Ocean, killing 83 individuals.
Hegseth spoke concerning the U.S. operation on Oct. 23 at a White Home occasion on preventing drug cartels, arguing that suspects on the boats can be handled “like overseas terrorist organizations on the offense.”
“So the Division of Struggle just isn’t going to degrade, or simply merely arrest. We will defeat and destroy these terrorist organizations to defend the homeland on behalf of the American individuals,” he stated.
His remarks got here per week after survivors have been reported following a strike on a ship within the Caribbean. The survivors ultimately have been launched to their residence international locations of Colombia and Ecuador, which prevented them from protesting their detention in a U.S. court docket.
When requested by ABC Information’ Mary Bruce about how survivors can be handled sooner or later, Hegseth responded, “We have protocol of how we’ll deal with it,” however didn’t go into element.
On the similar occasion, Trump advised reporters that he did not plan to ask Congress for authority or declare warfare in opposition to the cartels, and as an alternative he declared bluntly, “We’re simply going to kill individuals which might be bringing medication into our nation.”
Nevertheless, new questions arose concerning the legality of the assaults after a Nov. 28 Washington Put up report that stated the primary strike on Sept. 2 initially left two survivors clinging to the wreckage and that earlier than the strike Hegseth had given spoken orders to kill everybody on board.
The Put up report, which cited two “two individuals with direct information of the operation,” alleged that Adm. Mitch Bradley, then-head of the Joint Particular Operations Command, ordered a second strike as a way to adjust to Hegseth’s preliminary orders and to make sure the survivors could not name on different suspected traffickers to retrieve them and their cargo.
Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth holds a press convention on the Dominican Nationwide Palace in Santo Domingo on November 26, 2025.
Felix Leon/AFP through Getty Photos
Members of Congress from each events had expressed considerations with the drug cartel operation, however within the days following the Washington Put up report, Republican and Democratic leaders on each the Home and Senate armed companies committees put out joint statements saying they have been trying into the incident.
Hegseth pushed again in opposition to the Put up’s report saying in an X put up that the strikes have been authorized.
ABC Information has confirmed that survivors from the preliminary strike have been killed in consequence.
Trump advised reporters Sunday that he didn’t know concerning the particulars concerning the Washington Put up’s report and defended Hegeseth.
“He stated he didn’t say that, and I consider him,” Trump stated when requested concerning the report and Hegseth’s alleged order.
Trump added that he would not have needed a second strike.
“I would not have needed that. Not a second strike. The primary strike was very deadly. It was fantastic, and if there have been two individuals round, however Pete stated that did not occur. I’ve nice confidence,” he stated.
On Monday, White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley gave the order for the second strike, however didn’t give any extra particulars.
The following day, Hegseth doubled down on the administration’s efforts to assault alleged drug boats.
“We have solely simply begun hanging narco-boats and placing narcoterrorists on the backside of the ocean as a result of they have been poisoning the American individuals,” he stated at a Cupboard assembly on Tuesday.
Secretary of Struggle Pete Hegseth appears to be like on as President Donald Trump speaks throughout a gathering of his Cupboard within the Cupboard Room of the White Home, December 2, 2025 in Washington.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photos
Hegseth additionally clarified his earlier feedback about watching the assault stay.
“As you may think about, the Division of Struggle, we bought numerous issues to do. So I did not stick round for the hour and two hours, no matter, the place all of the delicate web site exploitation digitally happens,” he stated. “So I moved on to my subsequent assembly. A few hours later, I realized that the commander had made the — which he had the entire authority to do.”
“Admiral Bradley made the right determination to finally sink the boat and remove the risk. He sunk the boat, sunk the boat, and eradicated the risk. And it was the proper name. We’ve got his again,” Hegseth added.
Hegseth stated that he didn’t see any survivors whereas he watched the video.
“I didn’t personally see survivors, however I stand — as a result of that factor was on fireplace. It was exploded and fireplace and smoke, you may’t see something. You bought digital, there’s — that is known as the ‘fog of warfare.'”
