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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has mounted a defense of a controversial U.S. military operation conducted in September, attributing the decision to launch a secondary strike against survivors of a shipwreck to the “fog of war.” The incident, which involved a vessel allegedly transporting narcotics off the coast of South America, has drawn intense scrutiny from lawmakers and questions regarding compliance with international law.
Since taking office, the administration has overseen an aggressive escalation in counter-narcotics operations, classifying cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Recent reports alleged that Hegseth had issued directives implying a policy of leaving no survivors during these interdictions. However, speaking to reporters and lawmakers this week, Hegseth denied issuing a “kill them all” order. Instead, he argued that the specific decision to target individuals in the water was made by the on-scene commander, Admiral Frank Bradley, who perceived a continued threat in a chaotic environment.
According to coverage by Military.com, Hegseth maintained that Admiral Bradley acted within his authority to eliminate a threat to U.S. forces, noting that the distinction between combatants and non-combatants can be blurred during high-stakes maritime interceptions.
The defense comes as the Trump administration faces increasing pressure from Capitol Hill to justify the legality and strategy of its naval campaign in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. On Wednesday, Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed congressional leaders in a classified setting to address growing concerns. While Republican leadership has largely expressed confidence in the administration’s aggressive stance against what they term “narcoterrorists,” Democrats have raised alarms about the potential violation of war powers and human rights protocols.
The campaign, sometimes referred to as Operation Southern Spear, has resulted in a significant number of casualties. Data compiled by the Associated Press indicates that the campaign effectively treats drug traffickers as unlawful combatants, resulting in at least 66 deaths across 16 known strikes since September. Critics argue that these rules of engagement risk engaging in extrajudicial killings of civilians or low-level smugglers who do not pose an imminent military threat to the United States.
