US military strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats are facing intense criticism after reports that a ‘double tap’ attack on 2 September killed survivors clinging to a burning vessel. The White House confirmed a second strike was ordered by Admiral Frank Bradley, saying it was lawful and authorised by defence secretary Pete Hegseth, though officials denied he instructed forces to ‘kill everybody’. More than eighty people have died in similar Caribbean operations since September, yet the USA has provided little hard evidence of drug trafficking. Lawmakers from both parties are demanding investigations, with some Democrats arguing the second strike might constitute a war crime if incapacitated survivors were deliberately targeted. The administration insists it is acting in self-defence against ‘narco-terrorist’ groups, while Venezuela has condemned the strikes as unlawful aggression.