Hegseth: Admiral Who Ordered 2nd Boat Strike Is 'American Hero'

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday offered strong support for Navy Admiral Frank M. "Mitch" Bradley, who reportedly ordered a controversial second military strike on a boat that was allegedly involved in drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea on Sept. 2, the Hill reports. "Let's make one thing crystal clear: Admiral Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a true professional, and has my 100% support," Hegseth posted on X. "I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made—on this September 2 mission and all others since."

Hegseth added, "America is fortunate to have such men protecting us. When this @DeptofWar says we have the back of our warriors—we mean it." Hegseth is himself under fire for the strike. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously said Hegseth had authorized Bradley to carry out strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats, and that Bradley acted within his authority and the law when he ordered the second strike, emphasizing the operation's goal was to eliminate a threat to the US. As one military official points out to the Washington Post, Leavitt's statement "left it up to interpretation" whether Hegseth or Bradley was responsible for the second strike. Multiple investigations into the incident have been launched, Time reports.

The Trump administration claims the strikes killed 11 "narco-terrorists," though no evidence of that has been made public. President Trump on Sunday said he believes Hegseth "did not order the death" of the two survivors of the initial attack on the boat, who were then killed in the second strike. The Daily Beast frames the administration response as "throwing [Bradley] to the wolves" and "deflecting blame" for the incident to the naval commander, and sources tell the Post they are concerned Bradley is being turned into a scapegoat. The incident was the first in a series of military actions targeting vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, which has left more than 80 people dead so far. CBS News offers an extensive timeline of the administration's narrative around the Sept. 2 strike.