United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has made a name for himself since this past September. He ordered over 20 alleged drug cartels in the Caribbean and Western Pacific to showcase the nation’s military prowess. Due to his ambitions, a handful of Democrats and a senior Republican are demanding an investigation into the legality of the second boat strike order from the Sept. 2nd attack.
Why the Second Strike is Considered a War Crime
Hegseth commanded a missile launch on a suspected Venezuelan drug cartel boat on Sept. 2nd. Naval operators informed USNI News that the vessel is believed to be associated with the crime syndicate organization, Tren de Araguas. This later conflicted with the Venezuelan media after it was identified as a non-cargo ship from San Juan de Unare on Oct. 1st.
Insight Crime also recognized the syndicate’s power eroding in the Sucre bay areas, making it less likely to be used for drug trafficking. The US Defense Secretary received skepticism during the development of the Latin American drug war. He even took the opportunity to attack alleged cartels before and during Hurricane Melissa in October.
Hegseth now finds himself under bipartisan scrutiny after The Washington Post received intel that a second boat strike was ordered on Sept. 2nd. The Special Operations Command complied after learning that 2 of the 11 passengers survived on the ship’s remains. Admiral Mitch Bradley faces allegations of ensuring their deaths and their inability to communicate with other traffickers. According to ABC, critics of the Trump Administration and some legal experts are questioning whether the additional attack violates the Geneva Conventions.
Under General Protections of the Population Against Certain Consequences of War, Article 16 states, “The wounded and sick, as well as the infirm, and expectant mothers, shall be the object of particular protection and respect. As far as military considerations allow, each Party to the conflict shall facilitate the steps taken to search for the killed and wounded.” Shipwrecks are included as a danger zone to assist the wounded. Violating the procedure will be considered a war crime.
Hegseth’s Allegations Stirs Tension on Hometurf
Hegseth responded to The Washington Post on X (then Twitter) on Nov. 28th. He told the public, “As usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland.” Then he disturbingly added, “These highly effective strikes are intended specifically to be lethal, kinetic strikes. The declared intent is to [destroy narcoterrorism for America]. Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization.”
US President Donald Trump was asked for more details on the matter. He quickly defended the Defense Secretary solely on written words. “I’m going to find out about it, but Pete said he did not order the death of those two men.” When reporters asked the president if he would have accepted the second boat strike, he replied, “I wouldn’t have wanted that-not a second strike. The first one was very lethal.”
The Democrats have voiced their concerns that Hegseth is possibly violating international laws to continue eradicating boats without evidence of their criminal linking. In a shocking turn of events, Missouri Republican Senator Roger Wicker joins their call to action. “The Committee has directed inquiries to the [Defense Department], and we will be conducting vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to these circumstances,” he informed the nation.
Hegseth’s order further risks his and Adm. Bradley’s position when US Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated it’s legal. “[The admiral] worked well within [the Defense Secretary’s] authority and the law directing engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated. These strikes are conducted to protect the US interests.”
Venezuela’s National Assembly president, Jorge Rodriguez, could support Hegseth’s actions, for he does not see boat strikes as war. Instead, he classified them as murder. “There’s no declared war between the US and Venezuela, so it cannot be classified as anything but murder,” he said at a press conference on Nov. 30th. Rodriguez hints he’s searching for an international trial for boat strike survivors. “Everyone has the right to due process; no human being can be killed in a brutal manner.”
