WASHINGTON — Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that he only learned of a second strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat to finish off two survivors “a couple of hours later.”
Hegseth disavowed responsibility amid a congressional outcry over the Sept. 2 follow-up attack and pinned the decision on Adm. Frank Bradley, who led the Joint Special Operations Command.
“I watched that first strike live,” Hegseth said.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that he only learned of a second strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat to finish off two survivors “a couple of hours later.” AFP via Getty Images“As you can imagine at the Department of War, we got a lot of things to do. So I didn’t stick around for the hour and two hours or whatever where all the sensitive site exploitation digitally occurs.
“So I moved on to my next meeting,” he said.
“A couple of hours later, I learned that that commander had made the [decision] — which he had the complete authority to do. And by the way, Adm. Bradley made the correct decision to ultimately sink the boat and eliminate the threat.”
Hegseth added: “He sunk the boat, sunk the boat and eliminated the threat, and it was the right call. We have his back. And the American people are safer because narco terrorists know you can’t bring drugs through the water and eventually on land if necessary —.”
President Trump, seated next to Hegseth, chimed in: “Have to do it.”
Hegseth didn’t take responsibility following the Sept.2 attack. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth/XWhen pressed by reporters, Hegseth said “I did not personally see survivors” before the follow-up airstrike.
Bradley was promoted by Trump in October to lead the US Special Operations Command.
The US military has sunk at least 22 vessels allegedly carrying drugs off the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia, killing at least 83 people.
Hegseth told reporters, “I watched that first strike live.” POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump notified Congress on Oct. 2 that he is waging a “non-international armed conflict” against drug cartels — prompting a failed Senate push to prohibit the strikes, with two Republicans joining most Democrats in the 48-51 vote.
The Republican-led Senate Armed Services Committee and House Armed Services Committee are investigating the second strike on Sept. 2 and whether it broke federal laws around treatment of survivors.
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) vowed in a joint statement to conduct “vigorous oversight” of the second strike.
