Rand Paul accuses Pete Hegseth of being either 'incompetent' or 'lying' about Venezuela strike

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul sharply criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, claiming he is either unaware of key military actions or not telling the truth after Hegseth rejected reports that he authorized an order to leave no survivors during the United States initial strike on a Venezuelan vessel.

Since September, American forces have carried out more than a dozen operations against vessels suspected of carrying drugs in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, resulting in over eighty deaths. According to reporting from the Washington Post, during the first of these operations on September 2, Hegseth verbally instructed that no one remain alive. When two individuals were seen surviving the initial missile strike, the Special Operations commander overseeing the mission allegedly ordered a second strike to follow the directive to eliminate all survivors.

Hegseth forcefully rejected the account on social media, calling it inaccurate and inflammatory. Senator Paul responded soon after, arguing that Hegseth was either misrepresenting what happened or failing to understand the details of the operation he oversaw.

Paul told reporters that Hegseth dismissed the original report as untrue, only for the White House to confirm a day later that the second strike had indeed occurred. Paul questioned how it would be possible for the defense secretary not to know about such a critical action if he were acting competently.

President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that Hegseth had no prior knowledge of the second strike, noting that he himself would not have supported additional missile fire. Paul, however, pressed the issue, asking whether it was reasonable to believe the secretary remained unaware of events that unfolded under his authority.

Paul also condemned the broader implications of the incident, questioning whether Americans should accept misleading statements from officials or tolerate killings carried out without oversight. He described the situation as unacceptable and deserving of broad condemnation.

During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Hegseth said he did not stay to observe the second strike and only learned about it later. He also defended the admiral who, according to the White House, gave the order for the follow up attack, asserting that the decision to fully destroy the vessel and neutralize the threat was justified.

A bipartisan group of senators announced Tuesday that they would open an investigation into allegations that Hegseth directed forces to ensure there were no survivors. The scrutiny follows comments by President Trump in October indicating he did not intend to seek a formal declaration of war, saying instead that the United States would take direct action against individuals transporting drugs into the country.

Author: Chloe Ramirez