The U.S. military reported conducting another strike on a small boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, marking the 22nd such operation against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific linked to drug trafficking. The strike resulted in four casualties, bringing the total death toll of the campaign to at least 87 individuals.
A video released with the announcement captured the moment the small boat was engulfed in a massive explosion, followed by flames and smoke billowing from the vessel. The strike coincided with Adm. Frank (Mitch) Bradley’s closed-door briefings at the U.S. Capitol, triggered by an investigation into the initial strike on September 2. Allegations surfaced that Bradley ordered a subsequent attack to comply with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s directives.
During the briefings, Bradley denied any directive to “kill them all” from Hegseth but faced scrutiny as lawmakers viewed a stark video of the series of attacks. Legal experts raised concerns that targeting survivors at sea could violate the laws of military warfare.
Bradley, accompanied by Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, provided crucial testimony amid growing scrutiny of Hegseth’s leadership and questions surrounding the legal justification for President Donald Trump’s aggressive campaign against alleged drug smugglers. Lawmakers offered differing interpretations of the video footage, with Republican Sen. Tom Cotton suggesting the survivors were attempting to salvage the drug-laden boat for further conflict.
Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes expressed deep concern, describing the distress of two individuals left adrift without means of transport, ultimately killed by the U.S. forces. Meanwhile, Washington Rep. Adam Smith described the survivors as two shirtless individuals clinging to a disabled boat until the fatal missile strikes ended their lives.
