WASHINGTON — The Navy admiral who directed strikes on a suspected drug-running vessel in the Caribbean on Sept. 2 told lawmakers Thursday that he believed survivors of the initial attack were attempting to continue their mission when he ordered follow-up strikes.
Adm. Frank Bradley, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, approved both the first missile strike and subsequent attacks that killed 11 people, following War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s directive to destroy the boat and its narcotic cargo.
Bradley and Pentagon officials briefed House and Senate members, showing footage of the operation to provide context. “I saw two survivors trying to flip a boatload of drugs back over the United States so they could stay in the fight, and potentially, given the context, we heard of other Narco terrorist boats nearby coming to their aid to recover the cargo and personnel,” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) told reporters.
“This was witnessed by literally hundreds of uniformed and civilian personnel at the Pentagon, at Fort Bragg, and at other installations,” he added, emphasizing the scale of the operation.
The Wall Street Journal reported, citing Pentagon officials, that surveillance video did not clearly show the two survivors until an hour after the first strike—after Hegseth had stopped monitoring the feed. That left Bradley to decide whether they remained combatants or should be rescued. Bradley opted for additional strikes after noting nearby suspected drug boats and radio communications from the survivors.
Lawmakers left the briefing divided along partisan lines. Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called the presentation “one of the most troubling things I’ve seen in my time in public service,” describing the survivors as “individuals in clear distress, with a destroyed vessel, [who] were killed by the United States.”
Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he was “deeply disturbed,” noting that the briefing reinforced his concerns about the Trump Administration’s military operations. “This will be only the beginning of our investigation,” he said.
The Sept. 2 mission has been controversial since the Washington Post reported in November that survivors had been targeted after the initial strike. The New York Times later reported that Hegseth’s order did not specify how to handle any survivors.
Bradley provided his account in a closed-door briefing to GOP-led Armed Services Committees, which have launched investigations. House Intelligence Chairman Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) criticized Democrats for being “troubled” by the operation, arguing similar strikes were conducted under previous administrations without public outcry.
Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) remained silent after the briefing, despite previously expressing concern over Trump administration operations against suspected drug boats. President Trump said Wednesday he supports releasing full surveillance footage of the strike, of which only excerpts have been publicly shared.
“Whatever they have, we will certainly release,” Trump said, standing by the War Department amid accusations that the strikes could constitute a war crime.
Since Sept. 2, U.S. forces have conducted 21 operations against suspected South American drug smugglers in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, killing more than 80 people, with additional strikes reportedly planned.