“We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image,” publisher Kids Can Press said after the image was published

Pete Hegseth and an image of Franklin the Turtle he posted on X.Credit : Omar Havana/Getty; Pete Hegseth/X

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth published an image of the character Franklin the Turtle firing a bazooka at a boat amid ongoing criticism of U.S. strikes on boats in the Caribbean.

The image, published on X on Sunday, Nov. 30, shows Franklin with U.S. flags on his shoulder and chest as he fires the weapon from a helicopter. It was made to look similar to the real Franklin the Turtle book series, with the title reading Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists. “For your Christmas wish list,” Hegseth, 45, added.

Franklin the Turtle was created by Canadian author Paulette Bourgeois and illustrated by Brenda Clark. The books are published by Kids Can Press, which responded to Hegseth’s post by condemning the image in a statement on Monday, Dec. 1.

“Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity,” the publisher said in a statement posted on its social media pages. “We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image, which directly contradicts these values.”

Hegseth posted the image after The Washington Post published new reporting on his role in a Sept. 2 attack on suspected drug traffickers off the coast of Trinidad in the Caribbean. There were 11 people on the boat, two of whom survived the initial strike, according to the report. A Special Operations commander overseeing the attack then ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instruction to “kill everybody,” the Post reported, citing sources.

Since that attack, more than 80 people have been killed during the Pentagon’s campaign against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sept. 30.Andrew Harnik/Getty

Since there is no legitimate war between the U.S. and drug traffickers, Todd Huntley, a former military lawyer, told the Post that killing anyone on the boats “amounts to murder.” Huntley also told the outlet that even if there was a war, the order to kill people in the boats even if they can no longer fight “would in essence be an order to show no quarter, which would be a war crime.”

“The term for a premeditated killing outside of armed conflict is murder,” Brian Finucane, a senior adviser with the International Crisis Group and a former State Department lawyer, told the Associated Press. “Murder on the high seas is a crime… Conspiracy to commit murder outside of the United States is a crime. And under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Article 118 makes murder an offense.”

“This entire narrative is completely false,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told the Post in response to questions about Hegseth’s order. “Ongoing operations to dismantle narcoterrorism and to protect the Homeland from deadly drugs have been a resounding success.”

In his own X response to the Post, Hegseth claimed the “fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland.”

During a press briefing on Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Navy Vice Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley ordered the second strike, reports the Associated Press. Bradley will have a classified briefing with lawmakers overseeing military policy on Thursday, Dec. 4.

“Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes,” Leavitt, 28, said. “Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law, directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.”

In another X post on Monday, Hegseth said Bradley “is an American hero, a true professional, and has my 100% support. I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made — on the September 2 mission and all others since.”