Washington: The Pentagon was aware of survivors following a September strike on a suspected drug trafficking boat in the Caribbean Sea, yet proceeded with a second follow-up strike, according to sources familiar with the matter. The follow-up attack was justified as necessary to ensure the vessel’s sinking. The Trump administration maintains that all 11 people aboard the boat were killed.

Uncertainty remains about who specifically authorised the strikes and whether Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was involved. This issue has gained importance as congressional lawmakers undertake investigations into the legality of the military operations. A classified briefing on Thursday is set to include Admiral Frank "Mitch" Bradley, who the Trump administration says ordered the second strike.

Hegseth has defended the follow-up strike as a decision made amid the “fog of war,” stating during a recent White House Cabinet meeting that he neither saw survivors nor remained at the scene for the entire mission. He backed Admiral Bradley’s judgment, affirming the admiral had full authority to order the strike.

The Trump administration claims the US is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels, despite lacking congressional authorisation for military action in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

Information about the second strike was not fully disclosed to Congress during September briefings but surfaced later, drawing dissatisfaction from national security committee members across party lines. Both the House and Senate Armed Services Committees have launched bipartisan investigations, with hearings set to include Admiral Bradley’s testimony.

The investigations and scrutiny reflect concern over potential violations of peacetime and armed conflict laws by targeting survivors of the initial strike.

With inputs from PTI