A top US Navy admiral is set to face intense questioning from lawmakers today over a controversial military operation that has sparked allegations of potential war crimes and placed Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth under severe political pressure.
Closed-Door Briefing on Capitol Hill
Admiral Frank "Mitch" Bradley, who commanded Joint Special Operations Command during the mission, will provide a classified briefing to congressional leaders overseeing national security. The session, scheduled for Thursday 4 December 2025, comes amid a growing investigation into the handling of a lethal strike in international waters near Venezuela.
The operation, which took place on 2 September, involved a US airstrike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat. According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Admiral Bradley was authorised by Defence Secretary Hegseth to conduct a follow-up, or "double tap," strike that killed all remaining survivors from the initial attack.
Mounting Pressure and Conflicting Claims
The controversy escalated after The Washington Post reported that Bradley ordered the second attack to comply with Hegseth's directive to "kill everybody." Legal experts have warned that deliberately targeting survivors could constitute a grave breach of international law.
Secretary Hegseth has vehemently denied these claims, labelling them as "fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory." Meanwhile, sources indicate Admiral Bradley is expected to tell lawmakers that the second strike was ordered only after suspects were seen aboard the vessel with packages of illegal drugs, a narrative aimed at rebutting the war crime allegations.
Broader Fallout for Defence Leadership
The congressional scrutiny adds to a series of challenges facing Hegseth's leadership. Separately, a classified report found he risked endangering US troops by sharing highly sensitive operational details on a Signal group chat earlier this year, forcing him into damage control mode.
Lawmakers from both major parties are now demanding a full accounting of the Venezuela strikes. The outcome of Admiral Bradley's testimony could prove crucial in determining the political and legal consequences for the Pentagon's top brass, with calls for accountability growing louder in Washington.
