White House says admiral ordered follow-up strike on alleged drug boat

The US administration says the strikes in the Caribbean are aimed at drug cartels, some of which it claims are controlled by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing at the White House, on Monday (Evan Vucci/AP)

The White House said on Monday that a US Navy admiral acted “within his authority and the law” when he ordered a second, follow-up strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea in a September US military operation that has come under bipartisan scrutiny.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt offered the justification for the September 2 strike after representatives from both parties on Sunday announced support for congressional reviews of US military strikes against vessels suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.