House Armed Services Demands Full Accounting of Caribbean Boat Strike After Report of 'Kill Everybody' Order

House Armed Services Committee leaders announced late Saturday they are seeking a "full accounting" of a U.S. military strike in early September against an alleged drug-smuggling vessel in the Caribbean after a report said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered forces to "kill everybody" aboard the boat.

Bipartisan demand for answers

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), committee chair, and Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the committee's top Democrat, said in a joint statement that the panel is committed to "rigorous oversight" of Defense Department operations in the Southern Command region and is taking bipartisan steps to assemble a complete account of the operation.

"We take seriously the reports of follow-on strikes on boats alleged to be ferrying narcotics in the SOUTHCOM region and are taking bipartisan action to gather a full accounting of the operation in question," the lawmakers said.

What is known so far

The administration has said a Sept. 2 strike killed 11 people it described as "narco-terrorists" in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility. Officials say the vessel departed Venezuela and that President Trump asserted it carried members of the Tren de Aragua, a transnational gang the U.S. government has designated as a foreign terrorist organization.

A later report said survivors from the first strike were clinging to wreckage when a Special Operations commander ordered a follow-up strike, reportedly citing an instruction from Secretary Hegseth. Secretary Hegseth has denied the account, called the report "fake news," and defended the strikes as lawful efforts to disrupt drug trafficking.

Calls for oversight and legal clarification

The report prompted leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee to direct inquiries to the Department of Defense and pledge vigorous oversight to determine the facts. Lawmakers from both parties have questioned how targets are identified on fast-moving vessels and whether the operations meet the legal threshold that would require Congressional authorization.

Defense officials say the campaign — which the administration says includes 21 strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific and at least 83 deaths of individuals identified as "narco-terrorists" — does not rise to the level of "hostilities" that would trigger a requirement for new authorization from Congress. The administration also says it has provided multiple bipartisan briefings for lawmakers, though lawmakers say legal counsel was not always made available during those sessions to explain the legal basis for specific strikes.

Wider regional activity

President Trump indicated the operations could expand to include strikes on land. At the same time, the U.S. has increased its military presence in the region, deploying warships, F-35 fighters, intelligence aircraft and Marines as the administration intensifies pressure on Venezuela's leadership. U.S. officials have accused the so-called Cartel de los Soles of ties to Venezuelan authorities; those allegations are denied by Venezuelan officials.

House and Senate Armed Services leaders say they will continue oversight and demand clarity from the Department of Defense about the circumstances of the strike, the rules of engagement used, and the legal justification for follow-on actions. The Pentagon was asked for comment.