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 said Adm Bradley was responsible for the strikes and that he acted within the law.
On Thursday evening, the US military posted on X that it had killed four people in another boat strike in the eastern Pacific Ocean, at Hegseth's direction.
Prior to news of the latest strike, lawmakers reacted to the testimony, with the most senior Democrat on the House intelligence committee, Jim Himes, stating that Adm Bradley had his respect and should have the respect of all.
The incident has brought to light significant controversy, particularly over the legality of targeting individuals when there are survivors involved. While some lawmakers have defended the military actions, others have expressed deep concerns about the implications of such strikes on both human rights and international law.
The strike on 2 September was described as part of an ongoing US campaign against drug trafficking in the region, yet the legality of these military operations under international law has faced increasing scrutiny.
