Key Takeaways:
- The Navy admiral who ordered the U.S. military to fire upon survivors of an attack on an alleged drug boat has arrived on Capitol Hill for a classified briefing with top congressional lawmakers.
- The briefing comes as lawmakers are seeking a full accounting of the strikes and demanding accountability for the attack, which may have violated the law.
- The Trump administration is facing pressure to release the full video of the attack, as well as written records of the orders and any directives from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
- Lawmakers are also seeking answers to questions such as what orders Hegseth gave regarding the operations and what was the reasoning for the second strike.
- The investigation is ongoing, and lawmakers are expecting a thorough review of the incident.
Introduction to the Incident
The Navy admiral who reportedly issued orders for the U.S. military to fire upon survivors of an attack on an alleged drug boat arrived on Capitol Hill for a classified briefing with top congressional lawmakers overseeing national security. Adm. Frank "Mitch" Bradley, who was joined by Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is expected to provide information about the incident, which has raised questions about the legality of the attack. The briefing comes at a crucial moment in the unfolding congressional investigation into how Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth handled the military operation in international waters near Venezuela.
The Congressional Investigation
Lawmakers are seeking a full accounting of the strikes after The Washington Post reported that Bradley on Sept. 2 ordered an attack on two survivors to comply with Hegseth’s directive to "kill everybody." Legal experts say the attack amounts to a crime if the survivors were targeted, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are demanding accountability. The briefing in a secure facility at the Capitol is with congressional leaders, including the Republican chairs and ranking Democrats of the House and Senate Armed Services committees, and separately to the GOP chairman and Democratic vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Lawmakers will be seeking answers to questions such as what orders Hegseth gave regarding the operations and what was the reasoning for the second strike.
Pressure on Hegseth
President Donald Trump has stood behind Hegseth as he defends his handling of the attack, but pressure is mounting on the defense secretary. Hegseth has said the aftermath of an initial strike on the boat was clouded in the "fog of war." He has also said he "didn’t stick around" for the second strike, but that Bradley "made the right call" and "had complete authority" to do it. However, lawmakers are demanding that the Trump administration release the full video of the Sept. 2 attack, as well as written records of the orders and any directives from Hegseth. While Republicans, who control the national security committees, have not publicly called for those documents, they have pledged a thorough review.
Who is Adm. Bradley?
At the time of the attack, Bradley was the commander of Joint Special Operations Command, overseeing coordinated operations between the military’s elite special operations units out of Fort Bragg in North Carolina. About a month after the strike, he was promoted to commander of U.S. Special Operations Command. His military career, spanning more than three decades, was mostly spent serving in the elite Navy SEALs and commanding joint operations. He was among the first special forces officers to deploy to Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks. His latest promotion to admiral was approved by unanimous voice vote in the Senate this year, and Democratic and Republican senators praised his record.
Lawmakers’ Expectations
Lawmakers are expecting a thorough review of the incident and are seeking answers to questions such as what orders Hegseth gave regarding the operations and what was the reasoning for the second strike. Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, who leads the Senate Armed Services Committee, said, "The investigation is going to be done by the numbers. We’ll find out the ground truth." Sen. Mark Warner, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said, "I’m expecting Bradley to tell the truth and shed some light on what actually happened." Lawmakers like Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., have also made it clear they expect a reckoning if it is found that survivors were targeted.
The Scope of the Investigation
The scope of the investigation is unclear, but there is other documentation of the strike that could fill in what happened. Obtaining that information, though, will largely depend on action from Republican lawmakers — a potentially painful prospect for them if it puts them at odds with the president. Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said he and Wicker have formally requested the executive orders authorizing the operations and the complete videos from the strikes. They are also seeking the intelligence that identified the vessels as legitimate targets, the rules of engagement for the attacks, and any criteria used to determine who was a combatant and who was a civilian.
Conclusion
The investigation into the attack on the alleged drug boat is ongoing, and lawmakers are expecting a thorough review of the incident. The briefing by Adm. Bradley and Gen. Caine is a crucial step in the investigation, and lawmakers are seeking answers to questions about the orders given by Hegseth and the reasoning for the second strike. The Trump administration is facing pressure to release the full video of the attack, as well as written records of the orders and any directives from Hegseth. As the investigation continues, lawmakers are expecting a reckoning if it is found that survivors were targeted, and they are demanding accountability for the attack.