White House: Admiral Ordered Follow-Up Strike on Drug Boat, Attack Was Lawful

The admiral is expected to provide a classified briefing Thursday to lawmakers overseeing the military.

U.S. Navy Admiral Frank "Mitch" Bradley delivers remarks during the USSOCOM Change of Command Ceremony in Tampa, Fla., on Oct. 3, 2025. Airman 1st Class Monique Stober/U.S. Special Operations Command/Handout via Reuters

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday defended a second strike on a drug boat in the Caribbean Sea carried out on Sept. 2, amid growing scrutiny of the military operation.

Last week, The Washington Post was the first outlet to report that U.S. forces who had attacked a drug boat on Sept. 2 had ordered a second strike after observing at least two survivors clinging to the wreckage of the destroyed vessel.