WASHINGTON, D.C. — Leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee say they will conduct “vigorous oversight” of U.S. military operations in the Caribbean following reports that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth allegedly instructed forces to “kill everybody” aboard an accused drug-trafficking vessel. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) said Saturday they have directed inquiries to the Pentagon and will examine the circumstances surrounding recent strikes.
The Washington Post reported Friday that Hegseth issued the directive early in Operation Southern Spear, the Pentagon’s escalating campaign targeting narcotics boats primarily near Venezuela. According to the report, a September mission required two rounds of strikes after the first failed to kill all individuals on board. Hegseth rejected the reporting as “fake news,” saying the operations are designed as “lethal, kinetic strikes” aimed at destroying drug boats and killing “narco-terrorists.”
Since September, U.S. forces have conducted more than 20 maritime strikes, resulting in over 80 deaths. The operation is overseen by U.S. Southern Command and a joint counternarcotics task force formed in October. The State Department has also designated Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization, accusing President Nicolás Maduro of leading a trafficking network — a claim he denies.
President Donald Trump indicated this week that land-based strikes could begin “very soon,” intensifying bipartisan calls for transparency about U.S. objectives, rules of engagement, and legal authority.
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