US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has now cited the “fog of war” in defence of an ‘illegal’ follow-up strike earlier this year on a boat alleged to be carrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea
Calls are mounting for Donald Trump’s defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, to resign over an alleged illegal air strike against a suspected Venezuelan drug-smuggling boat.
On September 2, a US missile hit a vessel, killing several on board, although two men survived the initial blast. A second strike was then ordered to kill them while they clung to the wreckage – a direct violation of the Geneva Convention to which America is a party.
Since the attack, the US has produced no evidence showing the men were transporting drugs on a boat that experts say could not make the 1,400-mile journey to the States. The dead men’s family say that they were fisherman.
READ MORE: Putin’s ‘power play technique’ shows feelings toward Trump’s Ukraine peace dealREAD MORE: Donald Trump prepares to ‘expand US travel ban to more than 30 countries’
Critics, including members of Hegseth’s own Republican party, say that targeting defenceless survivors amounts to potential war crimes. “I think the first thing we need to do is to get to the facts,” said Senator Mike Rounds. “We’re just going to get the facts first.”
Senator Susan Collins warned that killing people from a wrecked ship would be “wrong” under international law. And Senator Jim Justice called the double strike “unacceptable”, arguing he supported the war on drugs but not one that kills “defenceless people.”
Within hours of the story breaking, demand for accountability reached lawmakers. A classified briefing by Admiral Frank Bradley, who allegedly gave the fatal follow-up order, is due before congressional defence committees, and members are pondering whether Hegseth should step up and explain himself.
The Defence Secretary, whom Trump renamed Secretary of War, has cited the “fog of war” in defence of the follow-up strike that killed two survivors of the initial strike. Hegseth has repeatedly gloated on social media about the US naval attacks, posting graphic footage of the strike. His comments came on the day the Pope urged Trump not to try to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro using military force.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting alongside Trump, Hegseth said the US had paused strikes because it was hard to find drug boats. But strikes against drug traffickers would continue, he said. On Monday, the White House said that Navy Vice Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley acted “within his authority and the law” when he ordered the second strike.
Many in the US military accused the Trump administration of throwing Bradley under the bus as it tried to shift blame away from Hegseth. The controversy over deadly military tactics is only the latest in a series that has plagued the Pentagon since his nomination.
In March this year, he was implicated in what has become known as “Signalgate” – a breach of protocol in which he reportedly shared classified orders for overseas strikes in informal group messages on a secure chat app. Critics warned the leaks risk compromising US intelligence.
Then there are the personal allegations. In 2017, a woman accused Hegseth of sexual assault after a hotel encounter; he denied the charge, but later paid a settlement.
Additional claims, arising from a whistle-blower report, say that during his time leading veteran-support organisations, including Concerned Veterans for America (CVA), he repeatedly became “noticeably intoxicated,” sometimes needing to be carried from events, allegedly used organisational funds like a “personal expense account,” and fostered a hostile work environment for female staff.
Hegseth has denied the accusations of drinking problems and wrongdoing. During confirmation hearings in January, he pledged to abstain from alcohol while running the Pentagon. “I’m not going to have a drink at all,” he told senators, likening the role to a deployment.