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Tom Cotton Defends Controversial 'Double‑Tap' Strikes, Says Survivors Trying To Right Drug Boat Were Legitimate Targets

04:53 AM, 12/05/2025
Tom Cotton Defends Controversial 'Double‑Tap' Strikes, Says Survivors Trying To Right Drug Boat Were Legitimate Targets

Sen. Tom Cotton defended the September 2 double‑tap strikes on an alleged drug‑smuggling vessel, saying they were lawful because survivors were seen attempting to right a drug‑laden boat. He praised Admiral Frank Bradley and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for authorizing the operation and said military lawyers and hundreds of personnel reviewed the action. Critics have called the operation a potential war crime; Cotton countered that later incidents involving clearly distressed survivors were handled as noncombatants and rescued.

Sen. Tom Cotton Backs September 2 Double‑Tap Strikes

Sen. Tom Cotton (R‑Ark.), who leads the Senate Intelligence Committee, told reporters Thursday that the September 2 double‑tap strikes on an alleged drug‑smuggling vessel were justified because survivors were seen attempting to return to a damaged, drug‑laden boat.

Cotton opened by thanking Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley and General Dan Cain, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for a briefing on the operation and described the attacks as "righteous strikes." He characterized the targets as "narco‑terrorists" trafficking drugs he said were destined for the United States and blamed the cartels for widespread overdose deaths.

Cotton said Admiral Bradley, identified as the head of U.S. Special Operations Command, ordered the second strike under authorization from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Both Bradley and Hegseth have faced intense scrutiny and criticism for their roles in the operation, which some observers have called a potential war crime.

"I saw two survivors trying to flip a boat loaded with drugs, bound for the United States, back over so they could stay in the fight," Cotton said, arguing that the men could have recovered cargo or rejoined other traffickers.

When asked whether the strikes were lawful, Cotton said military lawyers and judges were involved in the decision and that the operation was reviewed by "literally hundreds of uniformed and civilian personnel" across multiple installations, including the Pentagon and Fort Bragg.

Cotton rejected the characterization of the footage as "disturbing" offered by Congressman Jim Himes, calling instead for continued action against trafficking vessels until cartels stop sending drugs to U.S. shores. He emphasized that later incidents where survivors appeared shipwrecked and incapacitated were treated differently and that U.S. forces rescued those individuals.

Critics argue the double‑tap tactic — striking a target a second time after survivors are visible — raises serious legal and ethical questions. Cotton maintained the distinction between lawful targeting of combatants and the rescue of noncombatants, and he urged continued operations against what he described as foreign‑designated narco‑terrorist organizations.

Video of the exchange and Cotton’s remarks is available via C‑SPAN.

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