The commander who oversaw the Sept. 2 strikes, Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley, told lawmakers that U.S. intelligence officials had confirmed the identities of the 11 people on the boat and validated them as legitimate targets, then the military launched airstrikes as part of President Donald Trump’s military campaign against alleged drug-smuggling vessels, the U.S. officials and person familiar with the congressional briefings said. Bradley explained, the three sources said, that his decision to target the boat with the survivors was because the drugs were not destroyed and the individuals on the boat had not surrendered and were not visibly injured but were still on the list of approved targets. And while the survivors were not armed, he said the mission identified the drugs as the threat to the U.S., effectively deeming the cocaine as the weapon that could endanger Americans.
Author: Courtney Kube, Julie Tsirkin, Gordon Lubold
Published at: 2025-12-06 23:47:06
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