US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Friday defended recent American military operations in the Caribbean amid growing controversy over reports alleging that US forces killed survivors of a missile strike on a suspected drug-trafficking boat. The allegations have intensified concerns about Washington’s expanding actions in the region and renewed speculation about a possible land campaign in Venezuela aimed at countering drug cartels.
The controversy follows comments by President Donald Trump a day earlier, stating that the United States would “very soon” step up efforts to curb Venezuelan drug trafficking “by land.” His remarks added urgency to questions surrounding the rules of engagement adopted in recent operations.
Reports published by The Washington Post and CNN claimed that US troops were instructed to kill all individuals on board suspected narco-vessels. According to The Post, the military conducted a second strike on 2 September after identifying two survivors from an earlier attack. The report said that later, internal protocols were revised to ensure that survivors would be rescued. CNN noted that it remained unclear whether Hegseth had been aware of the survivors before the follow-up strike was authorised.
Hegseth dismissed the media reporting as baseless, describing it as “fake news.” He asserted that the operations were aimed at stopping the flow of “lethal drugs,” destroying narco-boats and eliminating what he termed “narco terrorists.”
“As usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland,” Hegseth said. He added that the strikes were intended to be “lethal, kinetic strikes” against organisations designated as terrorist groups.
The Pentagon has not issued its own detailed clarification, and questions continue to mount over the legal and operational framework governing the missions.