A U.S. military strike on alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean has shined a spotlight on the Navy admiral who oversaw the Sept. 2 operation, which killed 11 people and marked the opening salvo in the Trump administration’s deadly campaign on what it calls “narco-terrorists” in the Caribbean and Pacific.
The incident came under scrutiny after The Washington Post revealed details of this first attack, including a second strike on two survivors clinging to the shipwreck, raising questions about whether it could constitute a war crime and who was responsible.
Adm. Frank M. Bradley appeared Thursday on Capitol Hill for closed-door meetings with select Republican and Democratic lawmakers, who were shown extended video footage of the incident. To date, the public has seen only a short video of the initial missile strike, released by President Donald Trump on social media.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who authorized the operation, has defended the mission while distancing himself from the fallout. The White House has said Bradley was working within his authority to order the strikes, raising concerns among officials in Congress and the Pentagon that Bradley could be used as a scapegoat for a campaign that some lawmakers and law-of-war experts say is a war crime or murder.
Here’s what to know about the Navy admiral.
Who is Adm. Frank M. Bradley?
Bradley, who oversees U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), is from Eldorado, Texas, and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1991, according to his Navy profile. The former varsity gymnast studied physics through a postgraduate level and trained in underwater demolition.
He served as a Navy SEAL and was among the first to deploy to Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Since then, he has commanded at all levels of Special Operations, the Navy said.
Bradley, who goes by the name Mitch, was nominated by Trump to serve as commander of USSOCOM in June. During his confirmation hearing in July, Bradley spoke of his upbringing in a military family in a small ranching community where he “learned the foundations of meritocracy at an early age.”
He highlighted the role of his “best friend and wife” of 34 years as the “grounding rod and conscience of our family” and his four children, some of whom also work in the military and intelligence agencies.
In September, during the time of the strike in question, Bradley headed JSOC, which is responsible for carrying out some of the military’s most dangerous missions. In October, he assumed leadership of USSOCOM, where he now leads 70,000 people working on Special Operations in more than 80 countries.
Why are the strikes controversial?
The Sept. 2 attack is under scrutiny after reporting by The Post revealed that survivors from an initial strike were killed in a follow-up attack — referred to as a “double tap.”
Footage shown to lawmakers Thursday on Capitol Hill during closed-door meetings with Bradley showed two people attempting to flip their capsized vessel when they were attacked again, lawmakers told The Post.
It has sparked concerns from some officials and military law experts who believe it could constitute a war crime, amid questions over who holds responsibility and whether they could be prosecuted.
The alleged traffickers are not in an armed conflict with the United States and pose no threat of attack, these officials and experts say. Furthermore, defenseless people — particularly at sea — cannot be targeted, regardless of whether it is during armed conflict, law enforcement or other operations, legal experts have said.
But the Trump administration has argued that the U.S. is in an “armed conflict” with “designated terrorist organizations” and maintains that the strikes are legal under international law. It has argued that the boats being targeted in its campaign are supporting the illicit sale of narcotics responsible for killing tens of thousands of Americans each year.
Bradley said survivors were legitimate targets because they could theoretically call others to retrieve them and their cargo, The Post reported.
What have others said about Bradley?
Officials in Congress and the Pentagon have expressed concern that the Trump administration intends to use Bradley as a scapegoat for the strikes after emphasizing his role in decision-making in recent days.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a news conference Monday that Hegseth had “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,” she said.
Hegseth has since said he did not see survivors from the attack, citing the “fog of war.” Both he and Trump have pointed at Bradley as being responsible for the decisions made that day.
Hegseth described Bradley as “an American hero, a true professional” in a Monday post on X. “I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made — on the September 2 mission and all others since. America is fortunate to have such men protecting us,” he wrote.
USSOCOM declined to comment Friday on Bradley’s role in the operation.
What happens next?
Bradley’s closed-door meetings on Capitol Hill — five over about eight hours Thursday — could be a step toward a more formal investigation. Republican-led committees in the Senate and House have opened bipartisan inquiries into finding out more about the attacks, in a significant development considering Republican majorities in Congress have shown deference to the Trump administration.
Hegseth has called the reporting on the subject “fabricated” and maintained that U.S. operations in the Caribbean are in compliance with U.S. and international law.
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