U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Saks) is launching a "bipartisan" investigation into a counter-drug trafficking operation in the Caribbean following significant pushback from Democrats calling for U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to be investigated for possible war crimes.
Hegseth has come under fire after a report by The Washington Post alleged he ordered a second strike on a suspected Venezuelan drug boat after two men survived the first attack.
The Washington Post cited unnamed sources that claimed the follow-on strike was launched to fulfill Hegseth's order to "kill everybody."
Hegseth strongly denied the report, calling it "fake news."
"As usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland," Hegseth said in a lengthy statement on X.
As chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rogers and Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-Wash.) issued a joint statement Saturday calling for a "full accounting" of the operation that took place September 2.
"This committee is committed to providing rigorous oversight of the Department of Defense's military operations in the Caribbean. We take seriously the reports of follow-on strikes on boats alleged to be ferrying narcotics in the SOUTHCOM region and are taking bipartisan action to gather a full accounting of the operation in question."
Rogers has previously supported the Trump administration's air strikes on suspected drug boats coming from Latin America. In response to the report of a follow-on strike, Trump said he believes Hegseth "100%," according to Fox News, adding that he would have been against calling for a second strike in that situation.
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