Hegseth gives defiant speech defending ‘drug boat’ strikes amid scrutiny | Pete Hegseth
Pete Hegseth on Saturday doubled down on his defense of U.S. military strikes on drug cartel boats in the Caribbean; He argued that Donald Trump had the authority to take military action “as he deems appropriate” and dismissed concerns that the strikes violated international law.
Hegseth spoke Saturday at the Ronald Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley, California, amid growing scrutiny over the legality of the attacks and his leadership at the Pentagon.
The defense secretary argued that the attacks, which have killed more than 80 people since September, were justified to protect Americans. He compared suspected drug traffickers to Al Qaeda terrorists. “If you work for an organization designated as a terrorist organization and you bring drugs into this country by boat, we will find you and sink you. Make no mistake about it,” Hegseth said.
“President Trump can and will take decisive military action as he deems appropriate to defend our nation’s interests. Let no country in the world doubt that for a moment.”
Despite Hegseth’s strong defense, the Trump administration faces growing questions, even from some Republicans, about the legality of its anti-drug trafficking operations in the Caribbean.
The administration has insisted that nearly two dozen attacks were legal under the rules of war as the United States engaged in a gunfight with fentanyl traffickers operating as part of designated terrorist organizations, including Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and Colombia’s National Liberation Army.
Many legal experts have criticized this logic, stating that the United States is not at war with an armed group in the Caribbean and that the suspected traffickers are not attacking the United States or its assets abroad.
Other concerns include the fact that the alleged smugglers have not been convicted in court; that the United States provided little evidence to support cartel designations; and regional experts have repeatedly stated that the attacks would do little to actually stop fentanyl trafficking; The drugs mostly reach the United States via Mexico, not by boats via the Caribbean.
Scrutiny of the strikes and Hegseth’s role intensified at the end of November. The Washington Post reported The attack on September 2 was followed by a second attack targeting two survivors clinging to debris. The commander overseeing the operation ordered the second attack to comply with Hegseth’s instructions to “kill everyone,” the Post reported.
Hegseth denied this claim. At Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, the defense secretary said the commander, Adm. Frank Bradley, had “sinked the boat and eliminated the threat.” Hegseth said that while he “watched the initial attack,” he “wasn’t around for an hour or two” afterward.
Although Hegseth has shown no signs of backing down, calls for his resignation from Democrats are growing. The New Democratic Coalition, the largest Democratic group in the House of Representatives, called Hegseth “incompetent, reckless, and a threat to the lives of men and women serving in the armed forces.” Coalition chairman Brad Schneider and national security working group chairman Gil Cisneros accused the defense secretary of lying, deflecting and scapegoating his subordinates while refusing to take responsibility.
The defense secretary reiterated Trump’s promise to continue nuclear tests on equal terms with China and Russia. He has criticized Republican leaders for supporting wars in the Middle East in recent years and has harshly criticized those who argue that climate change poses serious challenges to military readiness.
“The war ministry will not be distracted by democracy building, interventionism, undefined wars, regime change, climate change, woke moralism and incompetent nation-building,” he said.
Associated Press contributed
