New Delhi, Dec. 4 -- Defense Secretary Hegseth authorized the September mission, but Admiral Frank Bradley ordered the fatal follow-up attack that killed two survivors clinging to wreckage-sparking bipartisan calls for war crimes investigation.

A senior Navy admiral who ordered a controversial follow-up strike that killed two survivors of an initial military attack on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel is set to face intense congressional questioning this week, as bipartisan lawmakers demand answers about whether the September operation violated international law.

Admiral Frank M. "Mitch" Bradley, commander of US Southern Command, authorized the fatal second strike on September 2, 2025, approximately 20 minutes after Defense Secretary ...