‘Fake news’: Hegseth slams media reports claiming US killed ‘drug boat’ survivors
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "‘Fake news’: Hegseth slams media reports claiming US killed ‘drug boat’ survivors")
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth slams media reports claiming US killed ‘drug boat’ survivors Photograph: (AFP)
Defending the US strikes, Hegseth called the reports “fake news”. He added that the intent of the strikes was to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco boats, and kill the narco terrorists “who are poisoning the American people.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Friday (Nov 28) defended recent operations of the US military against alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean following media reports claiming American troops killed survivors of one such missile strike. This comes amid rising concerns over US military actions in the region and a potential land campaign in Venezuela against drug cartels. A day earlier, US President Donald Trump said that the US would “very soon” step up its efforts to stop the flow of Venezuelan drug trafficking “by land.”
The Washington Post and CNN reported that the US troops were given a directive from Hegseth to kill everyon on board the alleged drug vessels. The Post reported that on September 2, the US military conducted a follow-up strike after seeing two survivors of an initial attack. The report added that following the operation, protocols were changed to rescue any survivors. While CNN reported that it was not clear whether Hegseth was aware of the survivors before the second strike was carried out.
Defending the US strikes, Hegseth called the reports “fake news”. He added that the intent of the strikes was to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco boats, and kill the narco terrorists “who are poisoning the American people.”
“As usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland,” he said. “As we’ve said from the beginning, and in every statement, these highly effective strikes are specifically intended to be ‘lethal, kinetic strikes.’ The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people. Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization.”
The secretary of war said that the US operations in the Caribbean are lawful as per both US and international laws.
“Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict—and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command,” he said. “Our warriors in SOUTHCOM put their lives on the line every day to protect the Homeland from narco-terrorists — and I will ALWAYS have their back.”
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Hegseth accuses Biden of ‘coddling terrorists’
He also slammed former president Joe Biden, saying that his administration allowed dangerous cartels and unvetted Afghans to flood into their communities with drugs and violence.
“The Biden administration preferred the kid gloves approach, allowing millions of people — including dangerous cartels and unvetted Afghans — to flood our communities with drugs and violence. The Trump administration has sealed the border and gone on offense against narco-terrorists. Biden coddled terrorists, we kill them,” Hegseth said.
