The White House clarified that a US Navy commander, not Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, ordered a second strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat on September 2. The Washington Post had reported Hegseth ordered the strike to kill all survivors, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes. Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated." Leavitt added the strike was "conducted in international waters and in accordance with the law of armed conflict." US Navy Vice Admiral Frank Bradley, commander of Joint Special Operations at the time, will give a classified briefing to lawmakers. Hegseth expressed full support for Bradley, calling him "an American hero" in a social media post. Both Senate and House armed services committees have launched investigations. US air strikes since September have targeted drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing at least 83. The Trump administration has not provided concrete proof behind these deadly strikes, raising legal questions from experts.