A top US Navy admiral at the centre of a controversial military strike on a suspected Venezuelan drug smuggling boat in the Caribbean has told American lawmakers that he received no order to "kill them all" from War Secretary Pete Hegseth. The testimony came during classified briefings on Capitol Hill as a Congressional investigation probes the mission that resulted in the deaths of two helpless survivors clinging to the wreckage.
Admiral Bradley's Testimony and the Controversial Strike
Admiral Frank "Mitch" Bradley appeared before lawmakers for a series of closed-door, classified sessions on Thursday. This probe was initiated following reports that he might have ordered a follow-on attack that killed the two survivors to comply with demands from War Secretary Hegseth. Legal experts have warned that such an action could potentially violate the established laws of military warfare.
Senator Tom Cotton, who leads the powerful Senate Intelligence Committee, addressed reporters after exiting one of the briefings. He stated, as per an Associated Press report, "Bradley was very clear that he was given no such order, to give no quarter or to kill them all." However, a video of the attack has raised serious and grave questions about the operation's conduct.
Who is Admiral Frank "Mitch" Bradley?
At the time of the incident, Admiral Bradley served as the commander of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). In this role, he oversaw coordinated missions between the military's elite special operations units from Fort Bragg in North Carolina. In a significant career move, he was promoted to commander of the entire U.S. Special Operations Command approximately one month after the Caribbean strike.
Bradley's distinguished career in the US Armed Forces spans more than three decades. He spent the majority of his service within the elite Navy SEALs and in command of complex joint operations. He was among the first special forces officers deployed to Afghanistan following the tragic 9/11 attacks. His most recent promotion to admiral received unanimous approval through a voice vote in the Senate this year, with both Democratic and Republican senators praising his extensive service record.
Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, has previously described Bradley as "rock solid" and among "the most extraordinary people that have ever served in the military." Despite this high regard, lawmakers are insisting on accountability. Tillis emphasized, "Anybody in the chain of command that was responsible for it, that had vision of it, needs to be held accountable."
The Order and Mounting Legal Scrutiny
Washington Representative Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, provided details on the nature of the order given for the mission. He stated, "The order was basically: Destroy the drugs, kill the 11 people on the boat." Smith, who is demanding a deeper investigation, graphically described the final moments of the survivors, noting they were "basically two shirtless people clinging to the bow of a capsized and inoperable boat, drifting in the water — until the missiles come and kill them."
The classified sessions with Admiral Bradley, which also included the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, provided new information at a critical juncture. War Secretary Pete Hegseth's leadership is currently under intense scrutiny. However, these briefings did little to clarify the growing legal and ethical questions surrounding President Donald Trump's broader campaign to use military war powers against suspected drug smugglers. This campaign has so far resulted in more than 80 fatalities across approximately 20 separate strikes.
The Congressional investigation continues as lawmakers seek to reconcile the admiral's testimony with the visual evidence and the tragic outcome of the operation.
