WASHINGTON — The U.S. military carried out a second strike on a burning boat in the Caribbean, killing survivors of an earlier missile attack during a counter-narcotics operation on September 2, according to reports published Friday by The Washington Post and CNN.
Both outlets, citing unnamed officials familiar with the mission, said troops had been issued a direct order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to ensure no one on board survived.
“The order was to kill everybody,” one source told The Washington Post.
The strike was the first publicly acknowledged attack in a series of aggressive maritime operations targeting vessels the Trump administration claims were ferrying drugs through international waters in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. To date, at least 83 people have been killed in these operations, according to tallies compiled from government statements.
Second Strike Targeted Survivors
According to the reports, U.S. forces launched an initial missile strike on the vessel, leaving it engulfed in flames. When two people were spotted clinging to the wreckage, the military carried out a second strike, killing the survivors.
The Post noted that military protocols were changed after the September operation, requiring personnel to rescue survivors in future missions — a sharp contrast to the alleged directive issued before the incident.
CNN reported that it was unclear whether Hegseth was aware that survivors were still alive when the second strike occurred.
The first mention of the follow-up attack surfaced in The Intercept on September 10.
Pentagon Pushes Back, Says Operations Are Legal
On Friday, Hegseth dismissed criticism as “fake news,” insisting that ongoing U.S. operations in the Caribbean comply with both U.S. and international law. He did not directly address the specific allegations about the September 2 mission.
The Justice Department has similarly defended the campaign, arguing that the United States is operating under the laws of armed conflict and that the targets — alleged smugglers — qualify as “unlawful combatants.”
The Pentagon has formally told Congress that the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with Latin American drug cartels and has designated several trafficking networks as terrorist organizations.
Accusations of War Crimes and Calls for Accountability
The new revelations sparked immediate condemnation on Capitol Hill.
Democratic Congressman Seth Moulton, a Marine Corps veteran, wrote on X that the “killing of survivors is blatantly illegal.”
“Americans will be prosecuted for this — either as a war crime or outright murder,” Moulton said.
The political firestorm comes amid the release of a video by Democratic lawmakers reminding service members that they have the right to refuse illegal orders. Trump responded by labeling the legislators “traitors.”
The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has already urged Washington to open a full investigation, saying there is “strong evidence” the strikes may constitute extrajudicial killings under international law.
