US Navy admiral ordered second deadly Venezuela boat strike, White House says

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 4 min read 100% complete December 2, 2025 at 09:44 AM

AI Summary

long article 4 min

The White House confirmed that a US Navy admiral ordered a second strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat on September 2nd, raising legal and ethical concerns. The "double tap" strike, which reportedly killed survivors from the initial blast, is under scrutiny from US lawmakers. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Admiral Frank Bradley acted legally and within his authority, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied giving an order to "kill everybody." Since September, over 80 people have died in similar US strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea, with limited evidence provided to support the claims of drug trafficking. The Trump administration defends the actions as self-defense against narco-terrorist groups, but lawmakers have vowed congressional reviews of the strikes.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Pete Hegseth ×260% Donald Trump 70% Frank Bradley ×280% United States ×390%

Keywords

venezuela boat strike 100% us navy admiral 80% lethal targeting 70% drug boat 70% laws of war 60% caribbean sea 50% legality questions 50% self-defense 50% narco-terrorist groups 40%