Hegseth defends strikes on alleged drug boats in Caribbean as “lawful”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday that U.S. operations in the Caribbean are “lawful” after The Washington Post reported that he ordered military officials to leave “no survivors” during a strike on an alleged drug boat in September.

Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, shared the newspaper’s article on X on Friday and wrote: “If you want to know why Hegseth is panicking about reminders that there is accountably for giving or carrying out illegal orders, it’s likely because he knows he has given illegal orders to murder people.” 

Department of Defense press secretary Kingsley Wilson then responded to the senator on X, writing, “Don’t buy the Fake News from phony politicians,” adding that every strike has been “completely legal,” “conducted against the operations of a Designated Terrorist Organization” and “in defense of vital U.S. national interests.” 

In his X post, Hegseth wrote that current operations are “lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict—and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command.” 

“As usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland,” he added. 

Why It Matters 

Military action by the U.S. in the Caribbean under President Donald Trump to stop the flow of drugs into the country has drawn strong condemnation and raised the concern of lawmakers in Washington. The U.S. strikes spur questions about the legitimacy and legality of U.S. military operations against suspected drug trafficking but also tests diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Latin American neighbors.

Since September, U.S. troops have carried out at least 21 strikes on alleged drug boats, killing at least 83 people, according to Reuters. 

Trump defended the strikes to reporters last month, saying, “They [lawmakers] are given information that they were loaded up with drugs, and that’s the thing that matters. When they’re loaded up with drugs, they’re fair game.” 

The Trump administration has not publicly released evidence that the boats were carrying drugs, NPR reported last week. 

Meanwhile, a group of 12 Democratic senators and one independent senator called for more transparency surrounding the military strikes in a letter to Hegseth and Attorney General Pam Bondi on Monday. The lawmakers asked them to declassify and release a September written opinion by the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel regarding the legal basis of recent strikes, writing that it is “necessary to ensure Congress and the American people are fully informed of the legal justification supporting these strikes.” 

What To Know 

In his X post, Hegseth said the purpose of the strikes is to “stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people.” 

“Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization,” he added. 

Trump and his administration have said on multiple occasions that the vessels attacked were affiliated with a designated terrorist organization but have not generally provided evidence of those ties or specific organization identification. 

Hegseth wrote Friday that former President Joe Biden’s administration “preferred the kid gloves approach, allowing millions of people—including dangerous cartels and unvetted Afghans—to flood our communities with drugs and violence.” 

“The Trump administration has sealed the border and gone on offense against narco-terrorists. Biden coddled terrorists, we kill them,” the defense secretary wrote. 

As part of efforts to expand the U.S. force buildup in the Caribbean Sea to target drug-trafficking networks, the Pentagon repositioned the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford from the Mediterranean in late October. The warship arrived near Venezuela last week.

What People Are Saying 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X on Friday: “Our warriors in SOUTHCOM put their lives on the line every day to protect the Homeland from narco-terrorists — and I will ALWAYS have their back.” 

A group of 12 Democratic senators and one independent senator, in a letter to Hegseth and Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote: “Few decisions are more consequential for a democracy than the use of lethal force. We therefore believe that the declassification and public release of this important document would enhance transparency in the use of deadly force by our Nation’s military and is necessary to ensure Congress and the American people are fully informed of the legal justification supporting these strikes.”

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