Hegseth justifies attacks on suspected cartel boats, states Trump has authority to use force 'as he deems necessary'

WASHINGTON Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended recent military strikes against suspected drug cartel boats during a speech Saturday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. He emphasized that President Donald Trump possesses the authority to take action as he sees fit to protect the United States.

Hegseth rejected criticism of the operations, which have resulted in over 80 fatalities and are under scrutiny for potential violations of international law. He argued that the attacks are necessary to safeguard Americans, drawing a parallel between the efforts against drug traffickers and the war on terror after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

If youre transporting drugs for a designated terrorist group by boat, we will locate and eliminate the threat. There should be no uncertainty about that," Hegseth stated during his keynote at the Reagan National Defense Forum. "President Trump has the authority to make decisive military decisions to defend our nations interests. No nation should doubt that for a second.

The latest strike increased the total death toll of the campaign to at least 87. Lawmakers have called for greater transparency regarding the attacks, their legal grounds, and whether follow-up operations were conducted after the Pentagon became aware of survivors from a September strike.

Although Hegseth compared alleged drug smugglers to Al-Qaida operatives, analysts highlight significant differences between these adversaries and the strategies used against them. During his address, Hegseth also underscored the need to counter Chinas rise through strength rather than conflict, echoing Trumps commitment to resume nuclear testing on a parity basis with China and Russia, a position that has raised concerns among nuclear experts.

The speech at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California brought together leading national security authorities. Hegseth used the platform to portray Trump as the true heir to Reagans assertive foreign policy approach.

He criticized Republican policymakers since Reagan for pursuing unsuccessful Middle Eastern wars and ineffective democracy-building efforts. Additionally, he dismissed claims that climate change poses a significant threat to military readiness.

The defense department will not be sidetracked by democracy promotion, undefined conflicts, regime change, climate agendas, moralizing trends, or ineffective nation-building, Hegseth asserted.

Author: Connor Blake