US Defense Secretary declares that the country has just started attacking suspected drug boats.

The United States has only recently begun targeting boats allegedly involved in drug trafficking, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on Tuesday, amid mounting criticism over strikes that opponents claim constitute extrajudicial killings.

Hegseth and the Trump administration have faced scrutiny, particularly following an incident where U.S. forces conducted a follow-up attack on the wreckage of a vessel that had already been struck, reportedly killing two survivors. Both the White House and Pentagon have sought to shift responsibility away from Hegseth, attributing the operational decision to the admiral in charge of the mission.

"We have just started attacking narco boats and putting narco-terrorists at the bottom of the ocean because they have been endangering Americans," Hegseth remarked during a cabinet meeting. He added that operations had temporarily slowed due to a lack of available targets, emphasizing that deterrence remains a key goal.

The Defense Secretary noted that while he observed the initial strike, he "did not personally see survivors," and defended the second strike as the "right choice to sink the vessel and neutralize the threat."

Earlier Tuesday, Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson affirmed the legality of the strikes, stating, "These operations comply with both U.S. and international law and follow the law of armed conflict." She reiterated that Admiral Frank Bradley, currently head of U.S. Special Operations Command, authorized the follow-up strike, operating "under established authorities to ensure the vessel was destroyed." Wilson emphasized that Hegseth fully supported any such subsequent actions.

The Trump administration maintains that it is effectively at war with so-called "narco-terrorists" and began operations in early September against vessels allegedly carrying drugs, resulting in more than 80 deaths so far. The follow-up strike on September 2, which killed survivors, may conflict with the Pentagon's Law of War Manual, which declares attacks on shipwrecked individuals illegal.

Democratic lawmakers have condemned the September 2 actions, with Senators Jacky Rosen and Chris Van Hollen suggesting the strikes could constitute a war crime, while Chris Murphy accused Hegseth of deflecting responsibility.

To support these operations, Trump has deployed the largest aircraft and additional military resources to the Caribbean for counter-narcotics purposes. The military buildup and strikes have heightened regional tensions, with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accusing the U.S. of using drug trafficking as a pretext to pursue regime change in Caracas. Maduro, whose re-election was rejected by Washington, claims Venezuela does not cultivate drugs and is only used unwillingly as a transit route for Colombian cocaine.

Author: Sophia Brooks