Lawmakers will question Admiral Frank Bradley behind closed doors today about a controversial military strike in the Caribbean that allegedly killed survivors from a suspected drug boat.
Bradley, who leads U.S. Special Operations Command, will face questions from members of Congress about whether troops carried out an illegal follow-up attack on September 2nd. Sources say Bradley is respected by both parties and has extensive experience with classified operations.
The classified briefing comes amid growing scrutiny over Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's role in the incident. The tone of lawmakers following the briefing will be crucial in determining whether this investigation escalates further.
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"The committee is expecting that we'll get briefed and that we'll find facts and then we can decide if there's something else that we have to do, but let's get the facts first before we make any other statements," Senator Mike Rounds said.
When asked if he still has confidence in Hegseth, the Republican Senator from South Dakota said they would make decisions based on the facts of the case.
"We haven't got the facts yet in front of us in a classified setting," Rounds said.
The controversy stems from a Washington Post report alleging that Hegseth ordered follow-up strikes on survivors from the initial attack on the suspected drug smuggling vessel. While the initial strike isn't the main source of controversy, the follow-up strikes on survivors have raised serious legal questions.
International law and Pentagon manuals state that incapacitated or shipwrecked individuals deserve medical attention and help, not further strikes, unless combat operations or threats still exist. The key question Bradley will face is what condition these individuals were in when the follow-up orders were given and what threat they still posed.
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Video recordings of the incident exist, but the Pentagon has not released footage of the second follow-up strikes. President Donald Trump committed to transparency when asked about releasing the videos.
"I don't know what they have, but whatever they have, we'd certainly release. No problem," Trump said.
The Washington Post initially reported that Secretary Hegseth gave the order for the follow-up strikes. However, Hegseth has said it was the admiral who gave such orders, creating confusion about the chain of command in this incident.
