🔗 Share this article

Good morning to our coverage of American political developments. The White House has asserted that a top US Navy commander directed a second round of strikes on an suspected Venezuelan drug boat on the 2nd of September, not Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.

Defense Secretary Hegseth authorized Vice Admiral Bradley to conduct these targeted attacks. Admiral Bradley acted completely within his jurisdiction and the legal framework overseeing the engagement to guarantee the vessel was destroyed and the danger to the US was eradicated.

Amidst claims that the defense secretary had ordered a war crime, administration press secretary Leavitt stated that Hegseth sanctioned the attacks but did not issue an command to “eliminate all survivors”.

Upon questioning by a reporter to justify how the action was not an instance of a international law violation, Leavitt again justified the operation, asserting it was “executed in global seas and in accordance with the rules of war”.

Key Officer to Brief Lawmakers

US Navy vice admiral Frank ‘Mitch’ Bradley, who was commander of Special Operations Command at the moment of the engagement, will give a secret report to congressional members on Thursday.

Hegseth promised his endorsement for Bradley in a online statement which framed the call as one made by the officer, not him.

“To be absolutely unambiguous: Vice Admiral Mitch Bradley is an heroic figure, a consummate professional, and has my 100% support. I stand by him and the operational calls he has made – on the September 2 mission and all others since. America is fortunate to have such people protecting us.”

Legislative Probes Launched

Each of the upper chamber and lower chamber armed services committee chairpersons have revealed investigations into the accusations, with limited particulars currently made public on which individuals or what was on the deck of the ship.

Since last September, US airstrikes have targeted alleged contraband-running craft in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in the deaths of at least 83 people.

The incumbent government has presented no tangible documentation to substantiate the claims behind its lethal actions, and several specialists have challenged the legality of the operations.

Broader Geopolitical Tensions

Meanwhile, the revelation that Trinidad and Tobago has approved the setup of a US military monitoring system has heightened concerns that the Caribbean region could be pulled into the intensifying conflict between the US and Venezuela.

Notwithstanding an apparent inclination to keep diplomatic channels open, strains between Washington and Caracas remain elevated as US strikes against suspected smuggling craft in the Caribbean have been proceeding for months.

The state of affairs remains fluid, with additional briefings and legislative review expected in the coming days.