US Defense Secretary Defends Lethal Strikes on Suspected Drug Vessels

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has strongly defended a series of controversial military strikes. He stated he would have made the same decision as the admiral who ordered an attack that killed survivors of an initial strike on a suspected drug-running boat. The nearly two dozen US air strikes, targeting boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, are under bipartisan review in Congress. Recent reports revealed a September strike involved a follow-up attack that killed two people surviving in the water, prompting accusations of potential war crimes. Hegseth compared the targeted drug trafficking organizations to the terrorist network al-Qaeda. He argued the groups pose a severe national security threat, justifying the aggressive military response. The strikes, conducted off the coast of Venezuela, target vessels allegedly smuggling narcotics. The Pentagon asserts the operations are lawful and necessary to combat drug trafficking into the United States.