Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) is doubling down on his calls for active duty troops to disobey orders he deems as “illegal,” this time telling “Meet The Press” host Kristen Welker that War Secretary Pete Hegseth is guilty of “war crimes” for ordering airstrikes on drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and the Pacific.
Kelly was speaking in reference to an article from the Washington Post which, according to “anonymous sources,” claimed that Hegseth ordered issued a verbal directive to Special Operations commanders during a September 2, 2025, missile strike on a Venezuelan-flagged boat in the Caribbean suspected of drug trafficking.
The anonymously-sourced report claims that Hegseth ordered a follow-up strike after two traffickers were seen “clinging to the wreckage” of one of the boats. It also cited a number of anonymous legal analysts, including, former military lawyers, described the order as a potential “textbook war crime” or “extrajudicial killing,” violating international law by showing “no quarter” to non-combatants.
Hegseth dismissed the reporting as “fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory,” defending the actions as lawful efforts to combat drug trafficking.
The nature of the piece has also drawn comparisons to the infamous letter from 51 retired intelligence officials, which claimed that former First Son Hunter Biden’s laptop — which contained troves of information on questionable business dealings — was a “Russian disinformation campaign.” The now thoroughly discredited letter was then used by Democrats and media allies to discredit and censor the story.
Kelly — who participated in a video statement alongside five fellow lawmakers calling on active duty soldiers to disobey the Trump Administration — seized on the questionable report to accuse Hegseth, and active duty service members, of committing “war crimes” while also defending the actions of he and his colleagues.
“I’m a Navy veteran. I served for over 25 years, flew combat missions in the Gulf War, and I commanded space shuttle missions. I took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution, and that’s exactly what this video is about. We’re reminding our men and women in uniform and in the intelligence community that they also took that same oath. If they receive an order that they believe is illegal or unconstitutional, they have a duty to refuse it,” the senator told “Meet The Press” host Kristen Welker.
He then dismissed misconduct investigations launched over the video by pivoting to the Washington Post story. “Take the recent strikes on those drug boats in the Caribbean. Reports are coming out that Secretary Hegseth ordered no survivors, even after it looked like some were in the water. That’s not how we operate. Our troops are trained to follow rules of engagement that comply with the laws of war,” he said.
“Do you think that’s an illegal order, and should our military have fired those second missiles?” Welker asked.
“Absolutely, if the facts are as reported, that sounds like a textbook violation of international law— no quarter given to potential non-combatants. In my time in the Navy, we sank ships that posed imminent threats, but we didn’t target survivors. That’s murder, plain and simple,” The senator responded.
“The courts will sort it out, but our service members shouldn’t have to guess. They need clear guidance from Congress and the chain of command that we won’t tolerate war crimes. And right now, with this administration, that guidance is more important than ever.”
