BY SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
Alabama’s own Rep. Mike Rogers, Chairman of the powerful House Armed Services Committee, moved swiftly to assert congressional authority after troubling reports surfaced alleging that U.S. forces killed survivors of a boat strike in the Caribbean during a counter-narcotics operation.
Rogers, a senior Republican voice in national defense, joined Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-Wash.) in demanding full transparency from the Department of Defense. In a joint statement first reported by AL.com, Rogers made clear that the committee he leads will not tolerate unanswered questions about U.S. conduct abroad.
“This committee is committed to providing rigorous oversight of the Department of Defense’s military operations in the Caribbean,” Rogers and Smith said. “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’ leadership places Alabama at the center of one of the most consequential national security debates of the year. The Washington Post reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth allegedly issued a verbal order directing forces to kill all suspected traffickers in a Sept. 2 strike. Drone footage reportedly showed two survivors clinging to wreckage before a second strike killed them — an action taken, sources said, to follow Hegseth’s directive.
The revelation has triggered rare bipartisan alignment on Capitol Hill.
Across the Senate, Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) announced they, too, have launched inquiries. Their statement echoed Rogers’ urgency, stating the committee “will be conducting vigorous oversight to determine the facts.”
Hegseth defended the operation on X, calling the strikes “lethal, kinetic” and aimed at destroying narco-terrorist networks. He argued that every trafficker killed is tied to a designated terrorist organization and that the actions were lawful under U.S. and international law. He also attacked the original reporting, calling it “fake news.”
The Trump administration has justified the broader campaign by asserting the U.S. is engaged in a “non-international armed conflict” with traffickers — a claim supported by a classified Office of Legal Counsel memo stating troops would not face prosecution for lethal actions in Latin America.
As scrutiny intensifies, Chairman Mike Rogers remains poised to lead Congress’ inquiry, placing Alabama at the forefront of ensuring U.S. military operations remain accountable, transparent, and firmly within the rule of law.