On Saturday, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly defended recent military strikes targeting alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean, asserting that President Donald Trump possesses the authority to execute military actions deemed necessary for national defense.
“If you are working for a designated terrorist organisation and you bring drugs to this country in a boat, we will find you and we will sink you. Let there be no doubt about it,”
Hegseth stated during his keynote speech at the Reagan National Defence Forum. His remarks come amid increasing scrutiny regarding a controversial attack that took place on September 2, which resulted in the deaths of individuals aboard a boat previously targeted by U.S. forces.
Questions raised over military actions
The follow-up strike, which was executed by the Florida-based Southern Command under Hegseth’s directive, has ignited questions from lawmakers across the political spectrum about its legality and the oversight surrounding such military operations. Several Democratic lawmakers have even called for Hegseth’s resignation, questioning the decision-making process that led to the high civilian death toll.
Officials within the Trump administration clarified that Hegseth did not authorize the additional strike, noting that an admiral responsible for the operation denied having given or communicated orders to eliminate all individuals on board, as had been reported by some media outlets.
Support for military decisions
Hegseth acknowledged that he was present for the initial strike but had stepped out for another meeting prior to the follow-up. Despite this, he expressed unwavering support for the military’s actions, stating on Saturday that he “would have made the same call” had he been in the room during the decision-making process.
Since the commencement of the operation, around 23 vessels have been targeted, resulting in numerous casualties. The most recent strike against a suspected narcoboat took place just days ago, claiming the lives of four individuals and escalating the total death toll to at least 87.