U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth staunchly defended recent American military actions against suspected drug cartel vessels in the Caribbean, arguing the operations are a necessary extension of presidential authority to protect national security. Speaking on Saturday, December 7, 2025, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, Hegseth dismissed international law challenges and intensifying congressional scrutiny regarding the legality and ethics of the operations, which have reportedly resulted in scores of fatalities.
Pentagon Justifies Force Against Maritime Traffickers
Secretary Hegseth addressed the controversial campaign of nearly two dozen strikes conducted since September, which officials claim targets fentanyl networks linked to designated terrorist organizations, including Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN). Hegseth explicitly equated maritime drug traffickers with al-Qaida operatives, asserting the administration’s right to deploy lethal force.
“If you’re working for a designated terrorist organisation and you bring drugs to this country in a boat, we will find you and we will sink you. Let there be no doubt about it,” Hegseth stated. He maintained that President Donald Trump is fully empowered to utilize decisive military action “as he sees fit to defend our nation’s interests,” sending an unequivocal message to both domestic critics and foreign nations.
The administration’s legal justification centers on the argument that the U.S. is engaged in hostilities against terror-linked fentanyl groups, making the Law of Armed Conflict applicable.
Critics Question Legality and Tactics
Despite the Defense Secretary’s forceful defense, the operations face sustained bipartisan skepticism over their legal foundation and operational conduct. Legal experts widely contest the premise, noting the U.S. is not formally at war with the targeted organizations in the Caribbean, and that the alleged smugglers have not launched attacks against the United States or its facilities. Furthermore, critics emphasize that individuals targeted have not received due process or criminal convictions.
Concerns about operational ethics intensified following a Washington Post investigation reporting an alleged second attack against survivors clinging to wreckage following a September 2 strike. While Hegseth denied issuing an order to “kill everybody,” he acknowledged monitoring the initial strike, stating the operational commander “sunk the boat and eliminated the threat.”
Political pressure on Hegseth is mounting. The New Democrat Coalition, a prominent House Democratic caucus, characterized the Secretary as “incompetent, reckless, and a threat” to U.S. service members, accusing him of dishonesty and evading responsibility. Critics also point out that the Caribbean strikes may be ineffective, given that the vast majority of fentanyl enters the U.S. through land routes via Mexico.
Hegseth Rejects Non-Military Focuses and Reaffirms Nuclear Posture
Beyond the Caribbean campaign, Hegseth used the California platform to outline a specific military focus, criticizing past Republican leaders for emphasizing long, undefined conflicts and dismissing contemporary issues like climate change as threats to military readiness.
Hegseth declared that the “war department will not be distracted by democracy-building, interventionism, undefined wars, regime change, climate change, woke moralising and feckless nation-building.”
The Secretary also reiterated President Trump’s pledge to resume U.S. nuclear testing to maintain parity with China and Russia, a significant shift in U.S. nuclear policy that signals a renewed focus on strategic competition rather than counter-insurgency and soft interventions. The statements reinforce a Pentagon mission prioritizing decisive military power and focusing strictly on direct national security threats as defined by the current administration.