Congress probes Caribbean vessel strike linked to Pete Hegseth order

President Donald Trump said Sunday he is confident that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not give an order to kill all crew members on a suspected drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean in September. 

Trump also said he didn’t know about a second strike.

Questions about the mission grew after reports that a September 2 drone video showed two people still alive after the first missile strike. 

The Washington Post reported that a Joint Special Operations commander then ordered a second strike because he believed an earlier message from Hegseth told him to “kill everybody.” That second strike reportedly killed the remaining survivors.

NBC News has not confirmed this version of events, but legal experts say targeting wounded or defenseless people could amount to a war crime. Democratic Senator Mark Kelly said the actions, if accurate, cross a line the United States must never cross.

House and Senate Armed Services Committees are now seeking full briefings. The Pentagon rejects the reports and defends the broader Caribbean anti-drug mission.

The operation has resulted in 20 strikes on boats allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela, and killed over 80 people. It is drawing bipartisan pressure for a full investigation.

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s National Assembly said it will create a commission to investigate the US deadly strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats, deepening tensions between Washington and President Nicolas Maduro’s government.