RedState Exclusive December 5, 2025
WASHINGTON – As Democrats escalate their attacks in the wake of Capitol Hill briefings by U.S. Special Operations Command commander Admiral Frank M. Bradley, prominent military defense attorney and former Trump Navy lawyer Tim Parlatore told RedState that politicians are deliberately mischaracterizing lawful combat actions. In an exclusive interview, Parlatore laid out the legal distinction at the heart of the controversy:
“You have a boat full of cocaine and terrorists heading to this country to poison and kill Americans. That’s a legitimate target.” Parlatore said. “You then do battle damage assessment. The boat and the cargo remain legitimate military targets that SOUTHCOM has been ordered to put on the bottom of the ocean.” Parlatore referred to the death of drug traffickers resulting from the second strike as “collateral damage.” The comments contrast statements made on Wednesday by top Democrats immediately after viewing classified drone footage. Democrat Rep. Jim Himes (CT-4) called the video “one of the most troubling things I’ve seen in my time in public service.”
Democrat Rep. Adam Smith (WA-9) described U.S. forces firing on “two shirtless people clinging to the bow of a capsized and inoperable boat” and declared Adm. Bradley bears “ultimate responsibility” for a possible war crime. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) said he was “deeply disturbed” and demanded the immediate release of the unedited footage.
Undeterred by such criticism, SOUTHCOM announced a successful lethal kinetic strike yesterday, on December 4, confirming the destruction of a narco-trafficking vessel carrying illicit narcotics and killing four male narco-terrorists in international waters.
On Dec. 4, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in international waters operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization. Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was carrying illicit narcotics and… pic.twitter.com/pqksvxM3HP
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) December 4, 2025
Democrats, however, appear poised to attack every aspect of the operation, regardless of its clear mission success in disrupting cartel routes. Adm. Bradley personally appeared on Capitol Hill to defend Operation Southern Spear, which has seized or destroyed hundreds of tons of narcotics since September. The left-wing attacks are built on a now-debunked Washington Post story alleging Secretary of War Pete Hegseth issued an illegal “kill them all” order.
READ MORE: WaPo’s Botched Hegseth Hit Job Proves the Pentagon Desperately Needs New Media
Admiral Bradley's Testimony Delivers Devastating Blow to Dem Narrative of Drug Boat Story
The four-star commander and Bronze Star with Valor recipient now faces intensifying partisan scrutiny that military legal experts like Parlatore argue isn’t built on the law of armed conflict at sea.
When speaking with RedState, Parlatore drew a direct historical parallel to drive the point home, citing one of the most celebrated moments in U.S. Navy history:
“Take the Battle of Midway. One of the Japanese carriers we blew up was burning, dead in the water, no longer able to fight or launch aircraft, and it was full of wounded Japanese sailors. You know what we did? We kept throwing torpedoes into it until it went to the bottom of the ocean. And that was lawful. The goal was to put the ship down so it couldn’t be towed back, repaired, and put back into the fight. The goal was not to kill all the wounded Japanese sailors on board.”
The example, Parlatore argued, shows that sinking a disabled enemy vessel, even one carrying wounded personnel, has been standard naval practice for generations and remains fully consistent with the law of armed conflict at sea.
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