Frank Bradley

Admiral Frank "Mitch" Bradley is a top US Navy commander, specifically the commander of US Special Operations Command. He is currently at the center of a controversy surrounding a "double tap" strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat in the Caribbean on September 2, 2025. The White House has confirmed that Admiral Bradley ordered the second strike, which has drawn bipartisan scrutiny from US lawmakers. This follows allegations that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the killing of survivors from the initial strike, an accusation Hegseth denies and for which an admiral testified Hegseth did not give such an order. The legality and appropriateness of the second strike are being questioned, and the incident has sparked a political and legal firestorm for the Trump administration. The incident has also highlighted the US's history of using "double-tap" strikes.