Lawmakers Demand Accountability After Navy Strike on boat Strike Survivors
WASHINGTON (AP) – A Navy admiral briefed lawmakers Tuesday regarding a recent military operation that resulted in a follow-up strike on a vessel carrying survivors of an initial attack, sparking outrage and calls for accountability. The briefing came as lawmakers seek detailed information about the strikes, which have killed more than 80 people since September, and the legal justification for targeting what the Trump governance deems “narco-terrorist” drug cartels.
The central concern revolves around reports that military officials were aware of survivors in the water following the first strike but authorized a second attack to ensure the vessel sank.lawmakers are pressing for clarity on who ordered the follow-on strike and whether Sean Hegseth,a conservative media personality who has been closely involved with the administration’s efforts against the cartels,played a role.
Sen. Jack Reed,the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee,and Sen. Roger Wicker have formally requested the executive orders authorizing the operations, complete videos of the strikes, the intelligence used to identify the vessels as targets, the rules of engagement, and the criteria used to distinguish between combatants and civilians.
“Anybody in the chain of command that was responsible for it, that had vision of it, needs to be held accountable,” a source familiar with the matter stated, reflecting the expectation of a reckoning if survivors were deliberately targeted.
Some Republican lawmakers have defended Hegseth and the broader military campaign. Sen.markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., argued the administration was justified in using war powers against drug cartels, stating, “I see nothing wrong with what took place.”
However, critics like Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., argue the questions about the legality of targeting survivors are a direct consequence of a military action built on shaky legal ground. blumenthal asserted Hegseth bears responsibility, even without a direct order from the defense secretary. ”He may not have been in the room, but he was in the loop,” Blumenthal said. “And it was his order that was instrumental and foreseeably resulted in the deaths of these survivors.”
The examination’s scope remains unclear, and obtaining further documentation will likely depend on cooperation from republican lawmakers.