Critics are voicing strong condemnation of US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following a report in the Washington Post alleging that he ordered an operation to eliminate all personnel on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean in September. According to the report, after two survivors were spotted in the wreckage, commanders initiated a second airstrike to kill them, raising serious ethical and legal concerns.
The Washington Post stated that the initial order was to “kill everybody” on board the vessel, and sources indicate that the two survivors were subsequently “blown out of the water.” This account has drawn sharp criticism from legal experts and human rights advocates, who argue that such actions constitute a clear violation of international law.
New York University law professor Ryan Goodman characterized the report as detailing a “textbook war crime/extrajudicial killing.” He further challenged claims from the administration, asserting that their explanation for the second strike—alleging it was necessary to clear debris—was “a bold-face falsehood.”
In defense of the strikes, President Donald Trump has stated that the operations target drug traffickers, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the importance of tracking the vessels involved. “We track them from the very beginning. We know who’s on them, who they are, where they’re coming from, what they have on them,” Rubio said last month.
Hegseth responded to the allegations on social media, labeling the Washington Post report as “fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory.” He maintained that the operation was lawful under both US and international law, although he did not contest the specifics of the report.
Critics, including prominent commentators and legal analysts, have expressed outrage over the reported actions. Comments on social media platforms highlighted the view that killing unarmed survivors violates fundamental legal principles. Legal analyst George Conway stated, “This would be a war crime even if there were an actual war and these people were actual combatants.”
Others emphasized the serious implications of such orders. David French asserted, “You do not kill helpless survivors of a sinking boat,” referencing historical atrocities to underline the gravity of the situation.
Calls for accountability have intensified, with various politicians and legal experts urging for congressional investigations into Hegseth’s orders. Congressman Eugene Vindman demanded transparency, stating, “This demands Congressional investigation, and the unredacted video of the strike and radio recordings of the orders given need to be shared with Congress and the American people immediately.”
The possibility of illegal orders has raised alarm among legal experts, with many asserting that executing unarmed survivors is illegal under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Critics argue that such orders represent a significant deviation from lawful military conduct.
As discussions of this incident unfold, there are growing calls for transparency and accountability regarding the actions taken by the US military in this operation. The implications of this report could prompt further investigations into the conduct of US military operations and their adherence to established international legal standards.
