Analysis
US senators openly question the Pentagon for possible war crimes
Despite the immunity flaunted by Hegseth, evidence of congressional oversight – hitherto absent – could indicate a change of pace in Washington regarding the Secretary and former Fox television host.
Trump’s private war has come under belated scrutiny by Congress, with a parliamentary inquiry by the Armed Services Committee summoning the leaders of Southern Command to answer for the unilateral military actions taken against Venezuela. Specifically, senators asked General Dan Caine and Admiral Mitch Bradley to account for the events surrounding the U.S. Navy’s attack on a civilian boat in international waters off the South American nation on September 2.
Many questions remain regarding the basis of the U.S. government’s ability to claim unilaterally – and without providing evidence – that the vessel was transporting narcotics. The administration has repeatedly stated it wants to interrupt the trafficking of fentanyl, which it deems to be a hostile act against the United States and therefore justification for military action in defense of citizens.
However, data from anti-drug agencies like the DEA indicate that trafficking of that specific drug uses Chinese and Mexican routes to reach the flourishing North American market, while cocaine trafficking remains centered mainly on Colombian and Mexican cartels. Despite this, “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth has targeted a country with a negligible profile in drug trafficking – but which happens to hold the largest oil reserves in the U.S.’s “home” hemisphere. The administration is speaking openly of the need for “regime change” in Caracas, accusing President Nicolas Maduro of drug trafficking.
The hearings in Congress focused on the government’s power to unilaterally open hostilities against a sovereign nation (last week Trump unilaterally announced the closure of airspace over Venezuela). The administration’s actions fit within the trend of a decades-long drift, at least since Reagan, in which American presidents have eroded the power to authorize military hostilities that constitutionally belongs to Congress.
However, the committee focused primarily on the specific attack of September 2. In that first sinking, two missiles were fired. The first one destroyed the vessel, killing nine of the 11 men on board. The second was fired to “eliminate” two survivors who remained in the water clinging to debris. It was a “double tap” that appears to fit the definition of a war crime. According to sources cited by The Washington Post, the order to “kill them all” was given by Hegseth. According to the Secretary, however, the operation was conducted by Admiral Bradley, whom he nevertheless commended – praise that many saw as laying the ground for making him the scapegoat.
Despite the immunity flaunted by Hegseth, evidence of congressional oversight – hitherto absent – could indicate a change of pace in Washington regarding the Secretary and former Fox television host. On Wednesday, a report by the Inspector General determined that Hegseth endangered the lives of American troops when he used Signal in March to discuss airstrikes on Yemen with his general staff.
On the same day, The New York Times announced a lawsuit against the Pentagon for violation of the freedom of the press. The lawsuit arose from the expulsion of Pentagon correspondents who refused to submit to a new requirement that they only publish articles and reports after prior authorization. Almost all journalists tasked with covering the Defense Department for major publications refused, and consequently had their credentials revoked. In their place, an alternative press corps was installed this week, composed of commentators and influencers from the MAGA and extreme right movements specifically chosen by the administration.
Among them are correspondents from conspiracy websites like War Room (Steve Bannon) and InfoWars (Alex Jones), Laura Loomer, the provocateur close to the president, and former MAGA congressman Matt Gaetz. A “press” selected in the image and likeness of the regime with the purpose of rubber stamping its narratives.
Also this week came the announcement of a $620 million contract awarded to Vulcan Elements, a manufacturer of magnets with military applications co-owned by Donald Trump Jr. The President’s eldest son is also a shareholder in Unusual Machines, which also recently won a contract to supply drone engines, again from the Pentagon.
Originally published at https://ilmanifesto.it/crimini-di-guerra-pentagono-sotto-inchiesta on 2025-12-05