Pentagon Defends Strikes in Venezuela and Caribbean, Citing Law and "Fog of War"

Pentagon Defends Strikes in Venezuela and Caribbean, Citing Law and "Fog of War" The U.S. Department of Defense is mounting a public defense of recent military actions in Venezuela and the Caribbean, asserting their legality while acknowledging the complex realities of combat. In separate statements, Pentagon officials have backed commanders who authorized strikes in Venezuela. A spokesperson confirmed that a senior commander's decision to launch strikes followed a rigorous legal review process, stating the actions were approved by military and civilian lawyers throughout the chain of command [17258]. Defense Secretary John Hegseth later defended a specific incident where U.S. forces struck the same target twice, attributing the decision to the inherent confusion of battle. "It was the fog of war," Hegseth stated, explaining he supported the admiral's choice to fire again to eliminate a perceived threat [17273]. Simultaneously, a senior defense official, Pete Hegseth, stated that ongoing U.S. military operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law. The statement directly addressed growing questions about the legal foundation for the mission [15064]. The justifications come amid political maneuvering in Washington. Senate Republicans are taking steps to shield the legal authority used for the Venezuela operation, aiming to block a Democratic effort to repeal the 2001 war powers resolution that justified the strikes [50051]. Pentagon Defends Commander's Decision in Venezuela Strikes **Pentagon Defends Second Strike in "Fog of War" Incident** Pentagon Official Defends Legality of Caribbean Operations Senate Republicans Move to Shield Trump's War Powers