Navy Admiral Frank Bradley denies receiving a “kill them all” order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, but disturbing video evidence of survivors being killed in anti-cartel operations has sparked a congressional firestorm over potential war crimes.
Story Highlights
- Admiral Bradley testified that Defense Secretary Hegseth gave no explicit “kill them all” order
- Video shows two survivors clinging to a capsized boat who were killed in the September 2 attack
- Democrats demand a full investigation while Republicans defend anti-cartel operations
- Over 80 people were killed in the Trump administration’s escalated war on drug traffickers
Admiral Denies Explicit Kill Order
Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley told lawmakers in classified briefings Thursday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth never issued an explicit “kill them all” directive. Senator Tom Cotton, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, confirmed Bradley was “very clear that he was given no such order, to give no quarter or to kill them all.”
However, this testimony contradicts previous Washington Post reporting that suggested Bradley ordered attacks on survivors to comply with Hegseth’s directive to “kill everybody.” The conflicting accounts have intensified congressional scrutiny over the September 2 incident.
REPORTER: "Was there a 'kill all' order from Secretary Hegseth?" .
SEN. COTTON: "No, Admiral Bradley was very clear that he was given no such order to, to give no quarter or kill them all." pic.twitter.com/kmAJkmtug3
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) December 4, 2025
Video Evidence Sparks Bipartisan Concern
Lawmakers who viewed classified video of the attack described vastly different interpretations of what transpired. Representative Adam Smith, ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said survivors were “basically two shirtless people clinging to the bow of a capsized and inoperable boat, drifting in the water.”
Cotton offered a starkly different assessment, claiming he 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.” Representative Jim Himes characterized the victims as “individuals in clear distress without any means of locomotion, with a destroyed vessel.”
Trump’s Anti-Cartel Campaign Under Fire
President Trump’s aggressive military campaign against suspected drug traffickers has resulted in over 80 deaths since the September operations began. The administration justifies these strikes by classifying drug cartels as armed combatants whose cargo threatens American lives.
Smith acknowledged cocaine was likely aboard the targeted vessel but criticized the “incredibly broad definition” that authorizes lethal military force against alleged drug runners who may not be heading to the United States.
This expansive interpretation of legitimate targets has raised concerns among some Republicans about exceeding legal boundaries governing armed conflict.
Congressional Investigation Intensifies
Democrat lawmakers are demanding complete transparency, requesting full video footage, written orders from Hegseth, and intelligence justifying vessel targeting.
Senators Jack Reed and Roger Wicker have formally requested executive orders authorizing operations, setting rules of engagement, and establishing criteria for distinguishing combatants from civilians.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis, while praising Bradley’s distinguished military record, emphasized accountability for anyone in the command chain who authorized targeting survivors.
The investigation’s scope remains unclear, with Republicans controlling national security committees but facing potential conflict with the president they generally support.
