U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hailed Admiral Frank Bradley, the head of the U.S. military’s special operations command (USSOCOM) as an “American hero” after the White House confirmed the top Navy admiral authorized a second strike on a suspected drug vessel in early September.
Bradley is “a true professional, and has my 100% support,” Hegseth said on Monday. “I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made — on the September 2 mission and all others since.”
The Washington Post had reported Bradley was in charge of an attack on an alleged drug boat in the southern Caribbean on September 2 and had ordered a second strike that killed two survivors on the vessel to comply with an alleged verbal order from Hegseth to kill everyone on board. The Post cited two anonymous sources with knowledge of the operation.
White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said on Monday Hegseth had authorized the strikes but did not give the “kill everybody” order.
Bradley was the chief of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) at the time.
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