The US is facing renewed scrutiny after reports emerged that US forces carried out a second strike on a disabled boat in the Caribbean, extrajudicially killing people who survived an initial missile attack.

Accounts published by the Washington Post, CNN, and earlier by The Intercept indicate that the September 2 attack unfolded under a direct instruction from War Secretary Pete Hegseth to ensure no one on the vessel remained alive.

Citing individuals familiar with the mission, the Washington Post reported that personnel were told "the order was to kill everybody." The strike formed part of a wider campaign targeting boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific that Washington claims were transporting narcotics through international waters. Publicly released figures compiled by AFP suggest that at least 83 people have been killed since these operations began, though the administration has not provided evidence substantiating its allegations against the vessels.

Illegal orders

According to WashPo, US forces saw two people clinging to the burning wreckage after the first strike and then hit the vessel again. Following this episode, internal rules were revised to require rescuing any survivors. CNN noted that it remains unclear whether Hegseth had been informed about survivors before the follow-up attack.

Hegseth, addressing criticism on social media on Friday, insisted that "current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both US and international law" and dismissed reports on the incident as "fake news," though he did not mention the September strike specifically.

The Justice Department has meanwhile maintained that the campaign complies with the laws governing armed conflict. The Pentagon has told lawmakers that the United States is engaged in an “armed conflict” with Latin American drug cartels and has categorized suspected smugglers as “unlawful combatants.”

War crimes

The allegations have triggered political backlash in Washington. Democratic congressman Seth Moulton wrote on X that the "killing of survivors is blatantly illegal" and warned, "Mark my words: It may take some time, but Americans will be prosecuted for this, either as a war crime or outright murder."

The revelations surface amid controversy over a video released this month by Democratic lawmakers reminding military personnel that they may refuse illegal orders, a message that prompted Donald Trump to brand them “traitors.”

International pressure is also mounting. UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk urged the United States to examine the legality of the strikes, stating that there is "strong evidence" they amount to "extrajudicial" killings.

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