ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump on Sunday dismissed a report alleging that a commander ordered a second strike to kill survivors after a Sept. 2 anti-drug trafficking operation in the Caribbean.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump questioned the veracity of the claim, saying: "I don't know that that happened."

He defended Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying: "Pete said that didn't happen. I have great confidence (in him)...Pete said he did not order the death of those two men."

Trump said the first strike was "very lethal" and "fine," suggesting there was no need for a second one. "We'll look into it," he added.

According to a report in The Washington Post, which the US administration denied, a commander ordered a second strike to eliminate two survivors from the initial attack to comply with a directive by Hegseth to kill everyone on board.

Regarding the overall US military campaign against drug-smuggling vessels, Trump expressed "very little" concern about the operations.

He justified the actions by claiming that each boat is "responsible for killing 25,000 Americans" and noted that the amount of drugs arriving by sea is now "infinitesimal" compared to a few months ago.

US Sen. Chris Van Hollen said Sunday that a war crime may have been committed during the incident.

Speaking to ABC News, the Maryland Democrat argued that even if one accepts the administration's premise that the US is in an "armed conflict" with drug gangs, killing survivors would constitute a war crime.

He noted, however, that officials have not publicly justified this legal framework, warning that if the war theory is wrong, the incident amounts to "plain murder."

The senator emphasized that the defense secretary "should be held accountable" for such orders.

The Pentagon has rejected the allegations, with a spokesperson stating the story's "entire narrative was false." Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem similarly dismissed the report.

Lawmakers from both parties said they support a congressional investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Don Bacon expressed skepticism that Hegseth would issue such an order, though he termed the report "a big concern."

Both the House and Senate armed services committees are currently investigating the incident, which was part of a broader campaign since September that has seen at least 21 strikes against boats suspected of transporting narcotics, killing at least 83.