Jeffries condemns 'extrajudicial killings' as a stain on America

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) sharply criticized Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Monday regarding his involvement in a lethal double-tap attack on a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean last September. Jeffries suggested that the operation may have broken the law and called for accountability.

It has become painfully evident that Pete Hegseth is the least qualified Defense Secretary in U.S. history. I urged his removal months ago, Jeffries said to reporters at the Capitol. Now, we see credible evidence that extrajudicial killings are occurring. This tarnishes Americas leadership and damages our international reputation.

Jeffries anticipates bipartisan investigations in Congress to determine whether the actions constituted war crimes or violated U.S. or international law. He noted that impeachment is unlikely due to Republican control of both chambers and potential interference from former President Donald Trump. However, Jeffries warned that any illegal actions by Trump-era officials could be prosecuted after a new administration takes office.

Republican extremists, sycophants, and those engaged in corruption or extrajudicial activities should understand that the statute of limitations for these crimes is five years, extending beyond the Trump administration, Jeffries added.

The Washington Post reported last Friday that Hegseth, at the beginning of Trumps military deployment against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean, ordered U.S. forces to strike a target on September 2 with instructions to kill everybody. When two survivors were found clinging to the damaged vessel, Adm. Frank Bradley, leading the operation from Fort Bragg, N.C., authorized a second strike, killing both individuals.

On Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the report, defending the strikes. She stated that drug traffickers posed a national security threat, justifying the lethal measures, and emphasized that Adm. Bradley followed Hegseths initial directive to ensure no survivors.

Adm. Bradley acted within his authority and the law to eliminate the vessel and neutralize the threat to the United States, Leavitt said.

However, the operation appears at odds with the Defense Departments own laws-of-war manual, which specifies that orders to fire upon the shipwrecked would be clearly illegal under the section on illegal orders.

The incident has drawn criticism from lawmakers across both parties. Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), a senior Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, stated that a second attack on survivors would violate war laws. If that occurred, it would be extremely serious and clearly illegal, Turner told CBS Newss Face the Nation.

Author: Sophia Brooks