Trump and Hegseth's comments following the Sept. 2 attack on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel

On September 2, President Donald Trump and U.S. defense officials announced that American forces had killed 11 individuals on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea, suspected of drug smuggling. The administration presented the operation as a significant move against South American cartels. Initial statements were met with skepticism due to limited information being shared. Concerns intensified when reports emerged that survivors of the initial attack were killed in a follow-up strike.

The White House later confirmed that multiple strikes had been conducted on the boat. On his social media platform, Trump described the operation as a "kinetic strike against confirmed Tren de Aragua narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM region." He included a video of the attack, showing a single strike, and claimed the vessel was under Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro's control. Maduro denied the claim and criticized the U.S. action. Trump also stated that the boat carried a "massive" quantity of drugs but provided few details.

During a White House briefing on September 3, Trump said, "It was massive amounts of drugs coming into our country," pointing out the drug containers seen on the boat. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also praised the strike that same day during a "Fox & Friends" interview, countering claims that the video might be AI-generated. "That was definitely not artificial intelligence. I watched it live," Hegseth stated. "We knew exactly who was in that boat and what they represented."

Following the initial strike, the administration reported 20 additional strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, resulting in 83 deaths. On October 23, Hegseth explained at a White House event on countering drug cartels that suspects on such boats would be treated like "foreign terrorist organizations on the offense," emphasizing that the U.S. intended to "defeat and destroy these organizations to protect the homeland."

The handling of survivors came under scrutiny after reports indicated that some had survived the first strike but were later killed in a subsequent attack. Hegseth acknowledged that protocols exist for treating survivors but did not provide specifics. Trump stated he would not seek congressional authorization or declare war, asserting, "We're just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country."

Concerns about the legality of these operations intensified following a November 28 report that claimed two survivors of the first strike were killed in a second attack, reportedly ordered by Adm. Mitch Bradley to follow Hegseth's instructions. Members of Congress from both parties expressed concern, prompting investigations by House and Senate armed services committees. Hegseth defended the strikes as lawful, and ABC News confirmed the deaths of the survivors.

Trump later told reporters he was unaware of the report's details but expressed confidence in Hegseth, saying he would not have approved a second strike. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that Adm. Bradley issued the second strike but did not provide further information. Hegseth continued to advocate for operations against narcoterrorist vessels, stating, "We've only just begun striking narco-boats and putting narcoterrorists at the bottom of the ocean."

Hegseth also elaborated on his earlier comments about observing the strike, explaining that operational procedures prevented him from watching the full post-strike assessment. "Admiral Bradley made the correct decision to ultimately sink the boat and eliminate the threat," he stated. Regarding potential survivors, Hegseth noted, "I did not personally see survivors ... because that thing was on fire and was exploded. Fire, smoke, you can't see anything this is called the 'fog of war.'"

Author: Noah Whitman