Minister of Defense Piet Hegseth defended the Trump administration’s anti-drug operations in the Caribbean and supported a follow-up attack that killed survivors of an alleged drug boat despite bipartisan congressional investigations into possible war crimes.
Hegseth supports Bradley’s decision to strike
On Saturday, speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California, Hegseth said the operations “demonstrate the strength of American resolve in stemming the flow of deadly drugs into our country.”
The Pentagon chief supported this Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley‘s decision to authorize a secondary attack, which killed two survivors in September.
“From what I understood then and what I understand now, I fully support that strike,” Hegseth said. “I would have called the same thing myself.”
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At a White House Cabinet meeting, Hegseth stated that he did not see the second attack live, he learned hours later, and could not see the survivors through flames and smoke, calling it “fog of war.”
Questions about war crimes surface
According to the Defense Department’s Law of War Manual, those who are shipwrecked “are in need of assistance and care” and “must refrain from any hostile act.”
Hegseth rejects ‘kill order’ accusations
Hegseth has previously faced accusations that he ordered the killing of all individuals on targeted Caribbean boats, which he denied.
“No, you don’t come in and say, ‘Kill them.’ It’s downright ridiculous,” he said, calling the claims an attempt “to make a cartoon of me.”
Hegseth also dismissed the reports last month, calling them “fake news” and “derogatory” attacks on the troops protecting the homeland.
The Caribbean attacks on the orders of the president Donald Trump in September, through December 4, resulted in at least 22 attacks on 23 ships, resulting in at least 87 fatalities.
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Disclaimer: This content was produced in part using AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga’s editorial staff.
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