Hegseth defends US boat strikes after survivor deaths
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to reports that he ordered strikes killing all passengers on a boat suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean. Two survivors of an initial strike were killed in a follow-up attack to comply with Hegseth’s orders.
Hegseth said the strikes were “lethal, kinetic strikes” and lawful under U.S. and international law, approved by military and civilian legal authorities. Critics have questioned the legality under the Geneva Conventions, which require wounded combatants to be cared for, News.Az reports, citing ABC News.
Senators Roger Wicker and Jack Reed called for oversight to investigate the allegations. Trump administration officials argue that strikes are legal because drug cartels are designated as “foreign terrorist organizations,” though legal experts warn such military action is unprecedented.
Over 20 airstrikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific have killed more than 80 people, raising concerns about the U.S. reliance on military force over law enforcement to combat drug trafficking.
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