The White House said on Monday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized an admiral to conduct multiple strikes on a vessel from Venezuela carrying illegal narcotics in September.
The Washington Post had reported that a second strike was ordered to take out two survivors from the initial strike and to comply with an order by Hegseth that everyone be killed. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he would not have wanted a second strike on the boat and said Hegseth denied giving such an order.
But White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Monday that Hegseth had authorized Admiral Frank Bradley to conduct the strikes.
"Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes. Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated," Leavitt said.
Leavitt said the strike was conducted in self defense to protect US interests, took place in international waters and was in line with the law of armed conflict.
"This administration has designated these narco terrorists as foreign terrorist organizations," Leavitt said.
Trump confirmed on Sunday that he had spoken to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom the US and most of the Western world considers an illegitimate leader, but Trump declined to provide details of the conversation.
The Trump administration has been weighing options to combat Maduro's role in supplying illegal drugs that have killed Americans. Maduro has denied having any links to the illegal drug trade.
Options under US consideration include an attempt to overthrow Maduro, and that the US military is poised for a new phase of operations after a massive military buildup in the Caribbean and nearly three months of strikes on drug boats off Venezuela's coast. Trump also has authorized covert CIA operations in the country.
(Reporting by Steve Holland and Jeff Mason; additional reporting by Phil Stewart, Doina Chiacu and Christian Martinez; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Rosalba O'Brien)