Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under intense scrutiny and investigation for allegedly ordering a military strike on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean that reportedly included a directive to kill all crew members aboard, including survivors. This has sparked bipartisan concern as lawmakers and legal experts suggest that if true, such actions could constitute war crimes under U.S. and international law. Congressional committees have launched inquiries into the incident, and prominent figures across party lines are demanding accountability and a thorough investigation.
### Allegations and Reported Incident
On September 2, 2025, a U.S. military strike targeted a drug-smuggling vessel. Although the initial missile strike left two survivors clinging to the wreckage, it is reported that Defense Secretary Hegseth issued a verbal order for a follow-up strike to ensure no survivors remained. This second attack reportedly killed those individuals in the water. The report emerged from The Washington Post and was based on interviews with military officials and insiders who had direct knowledge of the operation. Hegseth’s alleged order to “kill everybody” aboard the vessel has raised critical questions about the legality and morality of such commands.
### Legal and Political Reactions
Legal experts contend that executing survivors of a strike, especially when they are unarmed and no longer a threat, constitutes extrajudicial killings and may be classified as war crimes. Scholars from prestigious institutions like Georgetown Law and NYU Law have publicly characterized the orders as violations of international humanitarian law. Bipartisan lawmakers, including Senators Tim Kaine, Mark Kelly, and Ed Markey, have expressed serious concerns, with some calling for Hegseth’s immediate removal from office. Republican leaders chairing the Senate Armed Services Committee have committed to vigorous oversight and fact-finding on the matter.
### Responses from Hegseth and the Trump Administration
Hegseth has denied the characterization that he ordered unlawful killings, stating that all operations were “lawful under both U.S. and international law” and had been reviewed by military and civilian lawyers up and down the chain of command. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump defended Hegseth, asserting that he believed in Hegseth’s denial of ordering the lethal follow-up strike. However, Trump also noted he would not have wanted such a second strike to occur. Despite their denials, the revelations have prompted calls from members of Congress and human rights advocates for accountability and transparency.
### Investigations and Congressional Oversight
Both the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, led by Republicans and Democrats, have initiated inquiries to ascertain the facts surrounding the alleged “kill all” order. The investigations aim to determine whether the actions violated the law of armed conflict and to assess the chain of command’s responsibility. This scrutiny follows growing bipartisan unease about the Trump administration’s military campaign against drug-smuggling vessels, which reportedly includes nearly twenty similar strikes since the September incident.
This situation places Pete Hegseth at the center of one of the most serious allegations of military misconduct and potential war crimes by a U.S. Defense Secretary in recent history, raising questions about military accountability and adherence to international legal standards under the current administration.
[1](https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/military-boat-strike-review-trump-venezuela-9.6998143)
[2](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/us/politics/trump-boat-strikes-war-crime.html)
[3](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/11/pete-hegseth-investigation-congress-boat-strikes/)
[4](https://fortune.com/2025/11/30/lawmakers-pete-hegseth-boat-strike-order-drugs-venezuela-war-crime/)
[5](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/pete-hegseth-drug-boat-investigation-b2875013.html)
[6](https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/30/war-crimes-hegseth-venezuela-strikes-00671160)
[7](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/hegseth-declines-comment-report-boat-survivors-killed-result/story?id=127951385)
[8](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/11/28/hegseth-kill-them-all-survivors-boat-strike/)
[9](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/democrat-hell-reintroduce-war-powers-resolutions-after-report/story?id=127984613)
[10](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/house-senate-launch-inquiries-reported-second-strike-alleged-drug-boat-rcna246496)
[11](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Hegseth)
[12](https://thehill.com/homenews/5627055-live-updates-hegseth-venezuela-strikes-national-guard-shooting-mark-kelly-bondi-noem/)
[13](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/said-didn-t-trump-confronted-231244005.html)
[14](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/lawmakers-voice-bipartisan-support-for-congressional-reviews-of-trumps-boat-strikes)
[15](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/30/magazine/trump-hegseth-pardon-power-military-warrior.html)
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[17](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/11/hegseths-self-incriminating-response-to-that-ad/685053/)
[18](https://www.npr.org/2025/11/25/nx-s1-5620737/illegal-orders-and-the-investigation-into-sen-mark-kelly)
[19](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/11/30/pete-hegseth-investigated-kill-everybody-venezuelan-boats/)
[20](https://www.commondreams.org/news/pete-hegseth-boat)
