A top US Navy commander ordered a second round of military strikes on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat, the White House has confirmed.
Admiral (Frank) Bradley worked well within his authority and the law in ordering the additional strike, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday.
Leavitt confirmed Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized the strikes but did not give an order to kill everybody, as reported by the Washington Post. The second strike was reportedly done after two people survived the initial blast and were clinging to the burning vessel.
Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern over the report and vowed congressional reviews of the strikes.
President (Donald) Trump and Secretary Hegseth have made it clear that presidentially designated narco-terrorist groups are subject to lethal targeting in accordance with the laws of war, Leavitt said during the Monday press briefing.
The press secretary neither confirmed the first strike left two survivors, nor that the second attack was intended to kill them.
Media reports that Hegseth had given the directive to kill all those on board the vessel during the 2 September strike have renewed concerns about the legality of US military strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean.
Hegseth has pushed back against accusations in the report, calling them fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory. On Monday, he tweeted that Admiral Bradley is an American hero, a true professional, and has my 100% support.
In recent weeks, the US has expanded its military presence in the Caribbean and carried out a series of lethal strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats in international waters off Venezuela and Colombia, as part of what it calls an anti-narcotics operation.
More than 80 people have been killed in the strikes since early September.
The Trump administration claims it is acting in self-defense by destroying boats carrying illicit drugs to the US.
The attacks have also significantly ramped up tensions with Venezuela. Trump has repeatedly said he is considering the deployment of US ground forces into the country.
The strikes have led to increased scrutiny among US lawmakers. Over the weekend, the Senate Armed Services Committee announced it would be conducting vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to the strikes.
Republican chairman of the committee, Senator Roger Wicker, indicated that interviews with the admiral in charge of the operation would be planned, along with efforts to obtain audio and video recordings of the orders given for the strikes.
Multiple experts have raised doubts about the legality of targeting survivors under international law, noting that the rules of engagement typically forbid the targeting of wounded participants.
The Venezuelan National Assembly condemned the strikes and pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into the incidents. Venezuelan authorities have accused the US of escalating tensions with an aim to destabilize their government.
In an interview, Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab commented on Trump's allegations against Maduro, suggesting they stem from personal grievances over Venezuela's resources. Meanwhile, Trump reportedly pressured Maduro to resign in a recent phone call, threatening closure of the airspace above Venezuela if he did not comply.