WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cited the “fog of war” in defending a follow-up strike on an alleged drug-carrying boat in the Caribbean Sea earlier this year. During Tuesday’s cabinet meeting at the White House, Hegseth acknowledged that he did not see any survivors in the water when the order for the second strike was given in early September, insisting that “the thing was on fire.” He noted that he “didn’t stick around” for further details after the first strike and believed the admiral in command had “made the right call” in executing the strike, which he had “complete authority to do.” The Washington Post first reported that Hegseth verbally ordered the second strike that resulted in casualties among survivors aboard the vessel. Following the incident, the White House confirmed that Navy Vice Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley acted “within his authority and the law” when he initiated the second strike. Lawmakers have begun congressional reviews of the U.S. military strikes targeting vessels suspected of drug smuggling, and Bradley is expected to deliver a classified briefing to Congress on the matter. When questioned about his stance on the second strike in September, President Donald Trump stated he “didn’t know anything” and had “still not received a lot of information” as he relies on Hegseth for updates.