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A bipartisan group of influential US lawmakers is demanding answers and launching investigations into claims that the US military carried out a second unlawful strike to kill survivors of a suspected drug-smuggling vessel.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: Recently, The Washington Post reported that Secretary Hegseth issued a directive to “kill everybody” aboard a suspected drug-smuggling vessel off the coast of Trinidad on September 2. According to the report, the initial missile strike killed nine of the eleven people on board, leaving two survivors on parts of the wreckage. The Post, citing multiple sources with direct knowledge of the operation, claims that Adm. Frank M.“Mitch” Bradley ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s directive, killing the remaining survivors in the water. Internal reports and briefings later described the second strike as a “double tap” intended to destroy the vessel as a navigational hazard, but the Post’s sources allege the true intent was to eliminate all survivors.

As of now, the Pentagon and Secretary Hegseth have denied the claims, labeling the reporting as false, inflammatory, and based on anonymous sources. Hegseth took to X to call the allegations “fake news,” claiming that all operations were lawful and carried out under the oversight of top military and civilian legal advisors. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell echoed that sentiment, calling the narrative “completely false” and criticizing The Post’s reporting as a politically motivated attack on US service members.

What’s going on now: In a notable development, senior lawmakers from both parties are publicly expressing alarm and vowing to launch robust oversight efforts. Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), the former chair of the House Intelligence Committee and a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, said that if the reported second strike occurred, “that would be very serious, and I agree that that would be an illegal act.”

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, echoed Turner’s concerns and pledged a public and transparent investigation. Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, Kelly said, “We’re going to have an investigation. We’re going to have a public hearing. We’re going to put these folks under oath. And we’re going to find out what happened. And then, there needs to be accountability.”

This wave of congressional pressure follows an announcement from Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, who confirmed that the committee has “directed inquiries to the Department” and will be conducting “vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to these circumstances.”

More to come.