Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)2025-12-02T19:07:37Z WASHINGTON (AP) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cited the fog of war in defending a follow-up strike on an alleged drug-carrying boat in the Caribbean Sea earlier this year.During Tuesdays cabinet meeting at the White House, Hegseth said that he did not see that there were survivors in the water when the second strike was ordered and launched in early September, saying that the thing was on fire and citing the fog of war in defending the strike. Hegseth also said he didnt stick around for the remainder of the mission following the first strike, and said that the admiral in charge had made the right call in ordering it, which he had complete authority to do.The Washington Post first reported that Hegseth issued a verbal order for the second strike that killed survivors on the boat. On Monday, the White House said that Navy Vice Adm. Frank Mitch Bradley acted within his authority and the law when he ordered the second strike. Lawmakers have announced congressional reviews of the U.S. military strikes against vessels suspected of smuggling drugs, and Bradley is expected to provide a classified briefing Thursday to lawmakers overseeing the military. Asked if he supported the second strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea in September, President Donald Trump said he didnt know anything and still havent gotten a lot of information because I rely on Pete, referencing Hegseth.