The US military's attack on a Venezuelan boat, which was initially described as a single strike that killed 11 alleged members of Tren de Aragua, has undergone significant changes in its narrative over the past few weeks.
President Trump had announced that the US "shot out a boat" from Venezuela earlier in the day, but later social media posts described it as a single strike. The president claimed the vessel was headed to the US, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it was bound for Trinidad or another country in the Caribbean.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed back on claims that footage of the attack may have been fake, stating he had watched it live and knew who was in the boat. He later said the US had "absolute and complete authority" to conduct the strike, citing the importation of drugs as an "assault on the American people."
The White House has since confirmed that the vessel was struck twice, with two survivors killed in a follow-on attack. The Pentagon manual on the law of war states that combatants who are wounded, sick, or shipwrecked should not be attacked.
Lawmakers from both parties have questioned the legality of the strikes, citing concerns that they may constitute war crimes under international law. The US has struck more than 20 boats since early September, killing over 80 people.
The Pentagon has defended its actions as necessary to stem the flow of narcotics from South America, but some officials have been less clear about their motivations and the legal basis for the strikes. As investigations into the attacks continue, it remains to be seen whether they will shed light on the true nature of the US military's actions in the region.
The Trump administration's account of the September 2 boat strike has evolved significantly since its initial announcement, with some officials pushing back against claims that footage of the attack was fabricated. The White House has since confirmed that a second strike occurred, but has denied that Secretary Hegseth gave the order for it to be carried out.
The Senate Armed Services Committee is set to conduct an investigation into the attacks, and lawmakers from both parties are vowing to get to the bottom of what really happened on that day.
President Trump had announced that the US "shot out a boat" from Venezuela earlier in the day, but later social media posts described it as a single strike. The president claimed the vessel was headed to the US, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it was bound for Trinidad or another country in the Caribbean.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed back on claims that footage of the attack may have been fake, stating he had watched it live and knew who was in the boat. He later said the US had "absolute and complete authority" to conduct the strike, citing the importation of drugs as an "assault on the American people."
The White House has since confirmed that the vessel was struck twice, with two survivors killed in a follow-on attack. The Pentagon manual on the law of war states that combatants who are wounded, sick, or shipwrecked should not be attacked.
Lawmakers from both parties have questioned the legality of the strikes, citing concerns that they may constitute war crimes under international law. The US has struck more than 20 boats since early September, killing over 80 people.
The Pentagon has defended its actions as necessary to stem the flow of narcotics from South America, but some officials have been less clear about their motivations and the legal basis for the strikes. As investigations into the attacks continue, it remains to be seen whether they will shed light on the true nature of the US military's actions in the region.
The Trump administration's account of the September 2 boat strike has evolved significantly since its initial announcement, with some officials pushing back against claims that footage of the attack was fabricated. The White House has since confirmed that a second strike occurred, but has denied that Secretary Hegseth gave the order for it to be carried out.
The Senate Armed Services Committee is set to conduct an investigation into the attacks, and lawmakers from both parties are vowing to get to the bottom of what really happened on that day.
I mean come on 11 people die in a "single strike" but then it's confirmed they were hit twice... how many more do we need to know? 
And now they're questioning the legality of these strikes and if they might be war crimes... what's going on?! 
It's all just so confusing. I'm low-key scared that someone is gonna get held accountable for this, but high-key hoping it's one of the people in charge who actually has to face the consequences 
. First, they say the boat was headed to the US, then Trinidad, then "another country"... what even is going on?! 
Not some lawyer trying to spin a narrative for their own agenda. 
. And the White House just confirming that it was a second strike? Like, what's the point of even denying it now?! 
Can't we just have some real leadership and accountability around here?! 
... now we know it was actually two strikes and people died 
... the thing is, the Pentagon says they're doing this to stop drugs from coming into the US, but some ppl are saying that's not enough reason to attack boats with people on board 
... and then there's the law of war thing which says you can't hurt people who are wounded or sick 
... it's like, where do they draw the line? 
This US military strike in Venezuela is super suspicious. First they say it's a single strike that killed 11 people, then suddenly two strikes happen with more deaths... what's going on? 
. The Pentagon says it's all about stopping the flow of narcotics, but I'm not buying it 
. They need to come clean about what really happened here 
like who really knows what's goin on? The US is always talkin about how they gotta protect the American people, but when it comes to their own people bein killed in boat attacks, suddenly it's not a big deal 
. It's like they're just shooting first and asking questions later. I've seen some videos of those attacks, and it looks so reckless! The Pentagon says it's to stop the flow of drugs, but what if it's not just that? What if there are innocent people on those boats who get caught in the crossfire?
. We need to think carefully about our actions and make sure we're not harming anyone unnecessarily. The world needs more empathy and compassion, especially when it comes to matters like this 
so like literally the US military attack a venezuelan boat n 11 ppl die but now its not even clear wut happened 
the gov is tryin to cover it up 
but i no they cant 
but come on dude wut r u talkin bout 
And the fact that some lawmakers are questioning whether these strikes are war crimes just highlights how messed up the whole situation is 
I mean, what even is that supposed to mean? It sounds like a bunch of nonsense 
.
. Keep pushing for transparency, everyone! 
? Is it just a coincidence that most of them have happened since Trump took office? 
. And btw, did you see those 20+ boats getting hit since Sept? 
. The US military needs to step up its game 
.