Washington, D.C. — The White House asserted on Monday that a Navy admiral acted within his authority and the law in ordering a second strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea during a September military operation. The justification comes amid bipartisan scrutiny regarding U.S. military actions against drug trafficking vessels. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's comments followed revelations from a Washington Post report indicating that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had issued a verbal order for a follow-up strike that allegedly killed survivors of an initial attack. While Leavitt confirmed that there were indeed survivors as reported, she maintained that the operations were in line with legal guidelines. Criticism heightened after President Donald Trump distanced himself from the second strike, expressing he would not have wanted such an action against survivors. Lawmakers from both parties voiced concerns over the legality of targeting individuals who were no longer engaged in combat, suggesting this could constitute a war crime. In the aftermath, Hegseth defended the strikes as lawful under U.S. and international law, supported by military and civilian legal expertise. Meanwhile, Venezuelan authorities have initiated an investigation into the U.S. strikes that reportedly resulted in the deaths of more than 80 individuals in the region. These military actions are part of a broader initiative targeting drug cartels allegedly linked to President Nicolás Maduro, exacerbating already tense relations between the U.S. and Venezuela.