Hegseth Criticizes Media Over Caribbean Drug Strike Reports

Army Secretary Pete Hegseth took aim at the media following reports that he had authorized a second attack on a suspected drug smuggling vessel after the first left some survivors. Recently, the Trump administration has faced renewed scrutiny concerning airstrikes in the Caribbean aimed at alleged drug smugglers.

It was reported that Hegseth gave verbal orders for the entire crew of the suspected drug ship to be killed during an operation on September 2. Following this, a second attack was reportedly executed to eliminate those who had survived the initial strike. The White House confirmed on Monday that a second attack did take place, but disputed Hegseth’s claim regarding the original orders, insisting he did not instruct that all on board should be killed.

Hegseth defended his actions, stating he watched the first strike live but didn’t perceive any survivors among the chaos. “This is called the fog of war,” he remarked, emphasizing that the press doesn’t grasp the complexities of military operations.

He noted that after watching the first strike, he attended a meeting, only later learning about the second attack. The White House confirmed that Hegseth had authorized Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley to carry out the second strike, which Bradley subsequently ordered and executed.

At the time, Bradley was the commander of the Joint Special Operations Command and is now leading the U.S. Special Operations Command. Hegseth asserted that the decision to carry out the follow-up attack was correct. “Admiral Bradley ultimately made the right choice to sink the boat and eliminate the threat,” he stated.

The second attack has prompted bipartisan concern among lawmakers, who are calling for a thorough examination of its legality. Representatives Mike Rogers and Adam Smith, who lead the House Armed Services Committee, expressed their commitment to closely oversight of military operations in the Caribbean, particularly those involving vessels reportedly transporting narcotics.

Despite the scrutiny, Hegseth affirmed that the Trump administration’s struggle against drug trafficking will carry on, even though strikes in the Caribbean have recently come to a halt due to difficulties in detecting drug smuggling vessels. “We just started attacking drug ships and driving narco-terrorists to the bottom of the ocean because they are poisoning the American people,” he remarked.

To date, the Trump administration has executed over 20 airstrikes targeting suspected drug smuggling vessels, aligning with the government’s efforts to tackle drug flows into the U.S.