Overview
- At the Reagan National Defense Forum, Pete Hegseth said he "fully" supports the Sept. 2 re-attack on an alleged drug boat and "would have made the same call" that killed two survivors.
- He rejected reports that he ordered forces to "kill everybody," while NBC reported Adm. Frank Bradley told lawmakers Hegseth authorized lethal targeting of all 11 people on an approved list, which Bradley said was not a no‑quarter order.
- Hegseth declined to commit to releasing unedited strike footage, citing protection of sources and methods, even after President Trump said he would allow the video to be released.
- The administration says roughly 22 strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific have killed at least 86 people and target cartel-linked groups designated as terrorist organizations, a legal rationale that scholars and some Republicans dispute.
- Scrutiny intensified after briefings to Congress and a Pentagon inspector general finding that Hegseth violated policy by sharing strike details on Signal, which he defended by saying he has no regrets.