Pete Hegseth on the fatal targeting of two drug boat survivors in the Caribbean

In September the US Navy targeted a suspected drug-carrying boat coming out of Venezuela and blew it up. Two of the suspected drug traffickers miraculously survived and were seen clinging onto the wreckage. Instead of sweeping in to pick them up and detain them, the US Navy had another go and this time managed to kill them. According to the Washington Post, it was Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, who authorised the second shooting after giving an order to kill everyone. Hegseth has now denied this and the White House announced it was actually Admiral Frank Bradley, commander of US Special Operations Command, who gave the order to kill the two survivors. There is a lot of murky water here. Did the admiral really see for himself that there were two survivors clinging on for dear life and order his men to kill them anyway? First, that would be morally wrong, and second, I don't believe it. There has to be a better explanation. Unless... the admiral had received specific orders that under no circumstances were there to be any survivors. If so, this was a political, not a military decision. But Hegseth denies it. The targeting of more than 20 boats and the death of about 80 people in the boats is all a bit dodgy, legally, but Hegseth says it's all above board and in accordance with international law because these drug traffickers in Venezuela have been designated as part of a terrorist organisation and are, therefore, legitimate targets. Definitely murky waters.