Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet issued the following statement on U.S. strikes on suspected narcotics vessels in the Caribbean:
“As a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I am alarmed by reports that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the U.S. military to ‘kill everybody’ on an alleged drug vessel in the Caribbean. Hegseth’s order apparently resulted in a military strike – a second strike on survivors of an initial strike – that may violate both the law of armed conflict and the Department of Defense’s own Law of War manual.
“I’m glad to see leaders of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees announce bipartisan oversight inquiries into the strikes. These efforts must determine if laws or conventions were broken. The responsible parties must be held accountable.
“Secretary Hegseth has repeatedly demonstrated that he was never qualified to lead the Pentagon. I have long called for his resignation, and continue to believe that he must step aside.”
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