Hegseth says U.S. has "only just begun" sinking alleged drug vessels

• The White House said Hegseth authorized a Navy admiral to conduct the strikes, which the administration argues was within his authority and the bounds of the law.

Driving the news: "We've only just begun striking narco-boats and putting narco-terrorists at the bottom of the ocean because they've been poisoning the American people," Hegseth said from the president's side.

• But "it's hard to find boats to strike right now," he said to laughter in the room, adding that "deterrence has to matter — not arrest and hand over and then do it again."

State of play: The strikes have killed more than 80 people in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.

• The Washington Post reported last week that Hegseth had given a verbal directive to kill everyone on a boat suspected of carrying drugs, leading Adm. Frank M. Bradley to order a second strike. Hegseth denies the report, but lawmakers have vowed vigorous bipartisan oversight.
• The New York Times subsequently reported that Hegseth ordered a lethal strike ahead of the Sept. 2 attack but did not specifically address what would happen if a first strike didn't sink the boat and kill those aboard.

Between the lines: The Defense Department's Law of War Manual uses shooting shipwrecked survivors as an example of an illegal order that service members are obligated to refuse.

• The manual also states that those "who have been incapacitated by wounds, sickness, or shipwreck are in a helpless state, and it would be dishonorable and inhumane to make them the object of attack."

What they're saying: "Admiral Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a true professional, and has my 100% support," Hegseth wrote in a Monday social media post. "I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made — on the September 2 mission and all others since."

Go deeper: Trump allies dismiss reported attacks on Venezuelan boat strike survivors