A boat repeatedly targeted by the US military in September was on its way to meet another vessel bound for Suriname, not necessarily the United States, according to the admiral in charge of the operation, as reported by two sources.
Adm. Frank Bradley said intelligence showed the smaller boat was supposed to deliver drugs to a larger ship headed to a South American country, but that second ship was never found. Bradley argued the shipment could have ended up in the US, which he said justified the strike. US drug agencies report that trafficking routes through Suriname usually go to European markets, while most routes to the US use the Pacific.
Before the strike, the boat turned back after its crew spotted US aircraft. The boat was hit four times. After the first strike, two survivors clung to debris, but the later strikes killed them and sank the boat.
The incident has led to questions for the Trump administration, which said the strike was needed to stop a threat to the US. Some Congressmen say they will monitor the situation, as killing survivors could violate US law of war.
Defense officials say the mission aimed to destroy the boat and kill those on board, but there was no order to kill people who surrendered, which would be a crime.
