U.S. lawmaker Seth Moulton has publicly accused Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of committing war crimes, intensifying political tensions surrounding the ongoing Iran conflict and recent U.S. military operations.
Speaking during an interview on Erin Burnett OutFront, Moulton did not hold back when asked directly if Hegseth was guilty.
“Absolutely,” he said.
The Massachusetts Democrat claimed Hegseth was responsible for controversial U.S. strikes targeting boats in the Caribbean, allegedly linked to drug trafficking. However, Moulton questioned the legitimacy of those operations, arguing that there is little proof the individuals targeted were criminals.
“I mean, he’s clearly behind the operation to shoot all these boats in the Caribbean when it’s very unclear that we actually have any confirmation that these so-called narco-terrorists… are even on the boats,” Moulton said.
He added: “In fact, there’s a lot of evidence that these are just fishermen… trying to feed their families.”
According to reports, the strikes — which began in September under Operation Southern Sphere — have resulted in at least 186 deaths over the past seven months. Moulton cited cases where victims were allegedly not involved in criminal activity.
“There’s been press reporting on some of these individuals who’ve been killed who are clearly not war criminals,” he stated.
The lawmaker also condemned what he described as a “double tap” strike, where a boat was reportedly hit a second time after the initial attack.
“A double tap, just purely to kill these survivors who were clinging to wreckage,” Moulton said, drawing a comparison to actions prosecuted during World War II.
“And guess what the conclusion was? They got executed. Listen to that, Mr. Secretary,” he added.
The White House has defended the military operations. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said commanders acted within their mandate to eliminate threats.
Regarding one of the strikes, she explained that orders were given to ensure “the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.”
The controversy comes amid growing political pressure on Hegseth. Earlier this month, a group of House Democrats introduced articles of impeachment against him, citing alleged misconduct, including war crimes tied to the Iran conflict.
Hegseth has since faced tough questioning from lawmakers during recent appearances before both the House and Senate, as scrutiny over the administration’s military strategy continues to mount.
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