• US Senators promise vigorous oversight into strikes ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
• The oversight follows a report of orders to "kill everybody" on drug smuggling boats.
• The strikes reportedly killed 11 individuals and involved a subsequent attack on survivors.

Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) pledged to conduct "vigorous oversight" of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s alleged order to kill all individuals aboard suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific regions. This commitment comes after troubling reports of military actions related to narcotics enforcement efforts and the Department of Defense's initial response, according to thehill, huffpost, and aa.

A report by The Washington Post highlighted an incident where 11 individuals were killed during a military strike against a boat near Trinidad and Tobago, suspected of drug smuggling. Sources revealed that Hegseth allegedly directed that the mission should involve killing everyone on the vessel, leading to a follow-up strike ordered by Admiral Frank M. "Mitch" Bradley to eliminate two survivors. This sequence of events raises significant legal and moral questions, leading to scrutiny from various sectors, according to thehill and huffpost.

In light of these allegations, Wicker and Reed expressed their intent to investigate the circumstances of these strikes and the implications of such directives within the counter-narcotics operational framework. Their statement emphasized the committee’s responsibility to clarify the facts surrounding Hegseth's orders and the military's actions in the region, according to thehill, huffpost, and aa.