Tuesday, December 2, 2025 at 4:28 pm
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President Donald Trump called his Cabinet into a meeting on Tuesday morning, as the administration insisted it was legal for the US military to launch a secondary strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea in September.
Military law experts say that’s clearly illegal, but the White House said Monday that Navy Vice Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley ordered the second strike and was “within his authority and the law.”
FILE – President Donald Trump speaks with reporters in the White House Cabinet Room, Nov. 7, 2025, in Washington.
AP Photo/Evan Vucci, file
The military operation came under bipartisan scrutiny from lawmakers after The Washington Post reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order for a second raid that killed two survivors on the boat.
Trump strongly defended Hegseth on Sunday. “Pete said he did not order the killing of these two men,” Trump said. “And I believe him.” Bradley is expected to provide a classified briefing Thursday to lawmakers overseeing the military.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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