Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended on Saturday (6) the Trump administration’s military actions against alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean, saying they demonstrate “the strength of American determination.”
“Right now, the world is witnessing the strength of American resolve to stem the flow of lethal drugs into our country,” Hegseth said at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California. “Once again, we have been firm and clear: if you work for a designated terrorist organization and bring drugs into this country on a boat, we will find you and sink you,” he added.
Hegseth’s statements come as he talks about his anti-drug offensive, including ordering a subsequent attack that killed survivors on an alleged drug trafficking boat.
Killing castaways is considered a war crime, and the Pentagon’s laws of war manual defines people “in need of assistance and care” and who “must refrain from any hostile act.”
The subsequent attack in September drew bipartisan attention, including a pledge by the Senate Armed Services Committee to conduct oversight.
Hegseth, his team at the Pentagon and the White House pointed to carrying out a subsequent attack that killed survivors. On Saturday (6), Hegseth defended Bradley’s decision.
“From what I understood then and from what I understand now, I fully support this strike,” he said. “I would have made the same decision myself.”
The case was the central topic of meetings Bradley held with Congress this week, during which lawmakers were told that Hegseth made it clear before the mission that the strikes were expected to be lethal, according to the CNNbut that he was only informed about the survivors after they were killed, said one of the sources with direct knowledge of the matter.
On Saturday, Hegseth denied giving the order for everyone on board to be killed, calling the accusation “patently ridiculous.”
“No, you don’t go in and say, ‘Kill them.’ It’s just ridiculous. The intention is to create a caricature of me, the decisions we make and how we make them,” he said.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine said at the annual defense forum that it was his and Bradley’s idea to share information with Congress “so that we could continue to maintain and expand the trust we must earn every day from the American people.”
that the two men killed in the second attack did not appear to have radios or other communications devices, according to sources with direct knowledge of Bradley’s congressional briefings. Defense officials had been quietly arguing that the survivors were legitimate targets because they appeared to be radioing for help or reinforcements — reinforcements that theoretically could have allowed them to continue drug trafficking aboard the ship.
As part of congressional briefings, senior lawmakers watched a video of the military action, which divided them according to their party affiliations, with one prominent Democrat calling it “one of the most troubling things” he has seen as a lawmaker.
Asked if he plans to release the full video, Hegseth said, “We’re following the process and we’ll see what happens.” The Defense Secretary’s evasive response differs from comments from President Donald Trump, who told reporters earlier this week that his administration would “certainly” release the video.
in attacks that destroyed 23 boats. Although the Trump administration has defended its actions by arguing that the attacks were aimed at curbing narcotics trafficking, critics and legal experts say the initiative is likely illegal.
