United States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has declared that American military action against vessels suspected of smuggling drugs is far from over, even as the campaign faces mounting criticism and allegations of potential war crimes.
‘Only Just Begun’ Campaign Faces Scrutiny
During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, Hegseth made a forceful statement about the ongoing operations. "We've only just begun striking narco boats and putting narco-terrorists at the bottom of the ocean, because they've been poisoning the American people," he asserted. The Trump administration maintains it is effectively at war with alleged "narco-terrorists," a campaign that started in early September and has reportedly left more than 80 people dead.
However, Hegseth acknowledged a recent slowdown in strike activity, attributing it to the success of deterrence. "We've had a bit of a pause because it's hard to find boats to strike right now — which is the entire point, right? Deterrence has to matter," he explained.
Controversial Follow-Up Strike Sparks Outcry
The administration and Hegseth personally have come under intense fire, particularly for an incident on September 2. In that event, U.S. forces launched a follow-up strike on the wreckage of a vessel that had already been hit, an action that reportedly killed two survivors.
This decision has drawn sharp rebuke from Democratic senators and legal experts. Senators Jacky Rosen and Chris Van Hollen have suggested the incident may constitute a war crime, while Senator Chris Murphy accused Hegseth of "passing the buck." The Pentagon's own Law of War Manual states that "orders to fire upon the shipwrecked would be clearly illegal."
Pentagon and White House Defend Actions
In response to the controversy, both the White House and the Pentagon have sought to distance Hegseth from the decision for the September 2 follow-up strike. They have instead placed responsibility on Admiral Frank Bradley, who at the time directly oversaw the operation and now leads U.S. Special Operations Command.
At a Tuesday news conference, Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson defended the strikes' legality. "The operations are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict," she stated. Wilson reiterated that Admiral Bradley made "the decision to re-strike the narco-terrorist vessel" under established authorities and added, "Any follow-on strikes like those which were directed by Admiral Bradley, the secretary 100 percent agrees with."
Notably, this briefing was held under a restrictive media policy, barring dozens of journalists who had refused to sign new Pentagon access rules earlier in the year.
The administration has deployed significant military assets to the Caribbean for these counter-narcotics operations, including the world's largest aircraft. As the policy continues, the debate over its legal and ethical boundaries shows no sign of abating.
