An admiral overseeing the September 2 “double-tap” strike in the Caribbean told lawmakers this week that the suspected drug boat targeted by U.S. forces was on its way to meet a larger vessel bound for Suriname, not the United States, according to two sources briefed on the meeting.
Adm. Frank Bradley said intelligence indicated the smaller vessel planned to transfer narcotics mid-route, though the larger boat was never located. He argued that the shipment still could have eventually reached the U.S., a justification that has become central to the Trump administration’s defense of the operation.
The new detail deepens scrutiny around the decision to carry out multiple lethal strikes, even after the boat split in half and two survivors were left clinging to wreckage.
CNN previously confirmed the U.S. military struck the vessel four times, killing all 11 people onboard. Lawmakers were also told the boat had turned around shortly before the initial strike after apparently spotting U.S. aircraft, contradicting early public statements from senior officials who suggested it was directly heading toward American shores.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio had told reporters the suspects were “probably headed to Trinidad or some other country in the Caribbean,” while President Trump claimed in his September 2 announcement that the traffickers were “heading to the United States.”
U.S. drug enforcement officials say most trafficking routes through Suriname supply European markets, not the U.S., adding another complication to the administration’s narrative.
Bradley also acknowledged that survivors were visibly waving at the aircraft before they were killed, though it remains unclear whether they were surrendering or signaling distress.
The Pentagon’s own law-of-war manual classifies shipwrecked individuals as protected persons who cannot be targeted, a standard that has fueled bipartisan concern on Capitol Hill.
The Senate Armed Services Committee has already signaled it will launch oversight into the mission.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s role in the operation remains a focal point for investigators. According to one source, Hegseth made clear before the mission that the strikes should be lethal, but he was not informed survivors were still alive until after they had been killed.
A U.S. official said Bradley understood the objective to be to kill all 11 suspects and sink the boat, though no lawful order was given to deny quarter, an act that is explicitly illegal under international law.
The Pentagon has not commented on the new reporting.