Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday defended the U.S. military’s recent strikes on vessels suspected of smuggling drugs from Venezuela, warning that operations will continue as scrutiny mounts in Congress.
“We’ve only just begun striking narco boats and putting narco terrorists at the bottom of the ocean,” Hegseth said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. Seated again to President Donald Trump’s left, Hegseth said the Pentagon is “getting back to its basics,” which he described as a renewed emphasis on “lethality.”
Hegseth’s appearance drew heightened attention as the Defense Department faces bipartisan criticism over a follow-up strike in September on an alleged drug-smuggling boat. The Washington Post reported that Hegseth issued a verbal order for the second strike, which killed survivors from the initial blast and sparked questions about the chain of command.
Trump did not mention the strikes during his extended remarks at the start of the meeting.
The White House on Monday said the Navy admiral who ordered the second strike acted “within his authority and the law.” Press secretary Karoline Leavitt identified the commander as Vice Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley, who is scheduled to brief members of Congress in a classified session Thursday.
Lawmakers in both parties have announced reviews of the U.S. military’s actions, which targeted vessels believed to be carrying drugs from Venezuela as part of an intensified anti-smuggling campaign.
Hegseth, asked about the ongoing investigations, expressed confidence in the officers involved. “We always have the back of our commanders,” he said.
The Pentagon has not publicly detailed the evidence behind the operations or explained the decision-making that led to the second strike, but administration officials have argued the actions are part of a broader effort to disrupt narcotics trafficking networks in the Caribbean region.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.