National Security Leaders for America: Reports of “No Quarter” Order Require Urgent Congressional Oversight
December 1, 2025
Washington, DC, — National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A) is alarmed by reporting in The Washington Post that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth personally ordered U.S. forces to “kill everyone” aboard a suspected drug-trafficking vessel during a September 2nd operation in the Caribbean. The reporting further indicates that a second missile strike was launched after the vessel was destroyed, killing two survivors who were visibly clinging to debris.
If these reports are accurate, the actions described would be serious violations of both U.S. and international law. If the strike is viewed as a military operation, as the Administration contends, it would violate a core principle of military ethics and the law of armed conflict, which prohibits targeting people who are no longer a threat or cannot defend themselves. As military experts, we see this as deeply problematic. If the strike is viewed as a law enforcement action, killing rather than detaining a defenseless individual could constitute a host of crimes, up to and including murder.
NSL4A strongly supports the immediate investigations being initiated in the House and Senate Armed Services Committees. Congress must fully examine the facts, establish whether unlawful orders were issued or executed, and ensure accountability at every step in the chain of command.
Retired Major General Steven Lepper, the former US Air Force Deputy Judge Advocate General and NSL4A member, stated, “Orders to kill survivors of an attack at sea are ‘patently illegal,’ anyone who issues or follows such orders can and should be prosecuted for war crimes, murder, or both.”
NSL4A has emphasized the duty of senior leaders to ensure that they and the forces they command conduct themselves honorably and that all orders comply with the law of armed conflict—and the corresponding duty of service members to disobey clearly illegal orders. The targeting of defenseless survivors dishonorably crosses a bright legal and moral line recognized across every domain of military practice.
The United States must never tolerate the deliberate killing of individuals who are wounded, defenseless, or otherwise out of the fight.
NSL4A calls on Congress to continue its work with urgency, transparency, and determination. Upholding the rule of law, protecting the honor of those who serve, and reaffirming America’s commitments under international and domestic law are essential to maintaining the credibility of our armed forces and the legal and moral authority of the nation they defend.
