A US Navy admiral testified that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth did not give the order to kill them all during a controversial second US military strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean, multiple lawmakers have said.
The affirmations by Democratic and Republican lawmakers were made after viewing footage of the 2 September double-strike incident and hearing from Adm Frank Bradley in closed-door hearings.
The briefing before members of the House of Representatives and later the Senate came as questions continued around the legality of military force used against suspected drug boats.
The White House has stated Adm Bradley was responsible for the strikes and that he acted within the law.
On Thursday evening, the US military confirmed the kill of four individuals in another boat strike in the eastern Pacific Ocean under Hegseth's direction.
Following the testimony, Jim Himes, the senior Democrat on the House intelligence committee, expressed profound concern, describing the situation as one of the most troubling he had observed in public service.
Lawmakers, including Adm Bradley and Hegseth, have defended the actions taken during the strikes, claiming that they adhered to established protocols.
The legality of targeting those wounded during strikes continues to raise serious ethical questions, complicating the narrative surrounding this contentious military campaign.
This incident adds to ongoing scrutiny and criticism of US military operations focusing on drug trafficking in the Caribbean, with concerns from both ends of the political spectrum regarding the implications of these strikes on international law.
