A top US Navy commander ordered a second round of military strikes on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat, the White House has confirmed.
"Admiral (Frank) Bradley worked well within his authority and the law" in ordering the additional strikes, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday.
Leavitt said Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth authorised the 2 September strikes but did not give the verbal order to "kill everybody" on board, an allegation first reported by the Washington Post.
Hegseth also denied he gave the order, which has drawn bipartisan condemnation from US lawmakers who have vowed to investigate the incident for possible war crimes.
"President (Donald) Trump and Secretary Hegseth have made it clear that presidentially designated narco-terrorist groups are subject to lethal targeting in accordance with the laws of war," Leavitt said during the Monday press briefing.
